The Dark Doctor's Master Plan
by cheri1
Summary: 10Rose with Martha and Jack. Sequel to The Revenge of the Dark Doctor. The alternate Doctor has taken Rose hostage. While the Doctor searches for her, he teams up with an old friend and rediscovers an ancient enemy. FINISHED
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"Where are they with those coffees?" Jack said to himself as he walked away from Gwen.

He paused when he heard a high-pitched ringing. Going down some steps, he walked over to the jar containing the Doctor's hand. He stopped in front of it and a smile spread over his face when he saw that the hand was glowing.

_At last!_ He thought to himself.

And then he heard it, the unmistakable whooshing sound of the TARDIS landing. Grinning, he quickly unhooked the jar from the alarm system and hurried off to find his rucksack.

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"So, tell me again why we're coming to Cardiff?" Martha asked as the TARDIS stopped.

"Cardiff is built on a rift in time and space. Just like California and the San Andreas Fault. But the rift bleeds energy, so every now and then I have to open up the engines, so I cut the energy and use it as fuel.

"So, it's a pit stop."

"Exactly." He said pushing buttons on the console. "If we're going to be searching for Rose, I want to make sure the TARDIS is fully powered before we start. Like I said, I don't want to stop for anything."

He paused a moment.

"Hmmm, rift's been active lately. I wonder why?" he mused.

He finished pushing buttons and stepped back.

"There. Should take about fifteen to twenty minutes for it to completely power up." He said.

He walked around the console towards Martha.

"In the meantime, I want to get that chip outta your head. Who knows what we're gonna find out there and I want to do it now while there's time. The last thing I want is for someone to take over your mind again."

He took her hand.

"It won't hurt and it'll be quick." He said.

Martha nodded.

He took one last look at the console and led Martha back to the med bay.

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Jack ran as fast as he could eager to catch up with the Doctor before he vanished. He managed to slip out before anyone could see him and ask him where he was going. He just had to see him again. Even though he cared a great deal for his team, he wanted nothing more than to travel with the Doctor again. In addition, he had to find out why he had been left behind on the Gamestation. Was it something he did, because if it was, he hoped the Doctor would accept his apology and forgive him.

Panting, he ignored the weight of the jar in the rucksack on his back and put on a fresh burst of speed.

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The Doctor kept his hand steady as he carefully inserted the sterile tweezers in the open incision. He had managed to cut the thin sutures that had held the chip onto Martha's brain and now he was slowly withdrawing it from her head.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he finally removed the burnt chip. He stood there for a moment, staring at the chip angrily before walking over and dropping it in the rubbish bin where it belonged.

He took a tiny needle and thread and closed the incision with a couple of stitches. Setting it back down on the tray beside his exam table, he leaned over and kissed Martha on the cheek.

"There, that's done." He said softly. "And now I'll take you to your room where you can rest up while I get us back into the vortex."

He picked up a syringe filled with green liquid and stuck the needle in her arm.

"And this will dull any pain from the operation and let you sleep in peace." He added putting the empty syringe back on the tray.

He gathered her into his arms and laid her head against his shoulder. Smiling, he carried Martha into her bedroom.

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The Doctor walked back into the console room and checked his monitor. He smiled when he saw that the TARDIS was fully charged.

"At last. Hang on, Rose, I'm coming." He said, powering up the TARDIS.

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"DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCTOOOOR!"

Jack ran faster when he turned a corner and saw the TARDIS up ahead of him.

"DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCTOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!" he screamed.

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The Doctor was walking by his monitor when he stopped and looked at it. His eyes widened when he saw a familiar figure running towards the TARDIS.

"Oh Rassilon, no! Not you! Not now!" he said, speeding up.

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"DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!"

Jack gritted his teeth and ran harder when he heard the TARDIS wheezing and saw it dematerializing.

In a last ditch effort to reach the Doctor, he hurled his body towards the TARDIS.

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The Doctor gasped when the TARDIS jerked and sparks flew from the top of the central column. He grabbed the edge of the console waving smoke and sparks away as he looked at the monitor trying to figure out what was going on. He stared at the screen in disbelief while concentric circles flashed rapidly in front of his eyes.

"We're accelerating into the future." He said to himself. "1 million, 5 billion, 5 trillion, 50 trillion, what?"

His mouth dropped open when the calculations finally stopped.

"The year 100 trillion, that's impossible."

He stood there for a moment letting it sink in.

"We're going to the end of the universe." He murmured.

Meanwhile, Jack clung to the outside of the TARDIS bellowing the Doctor's name as he held on for dear life.

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(Meanwhile, back in 2007…)

"Come along, my dear."

Rose lowered her head and climbed out of the alternate Doctor's TARDIS, now sitting in an alley disguised as a rubbish skip. She glared at him.

"That's a good girl." He said closing the door and patting her head. "Now just behave yourself and I won't have to turn that chip on."

"You won't get away with this. The Doctor will find you."

He smirked and got into her face.

"I'm counting on it." He whispered to her. "Why else would I bring you here to Earth, 2007 and not some far-flung corner of the universe? I want to make it easy on him so his imbecilic mind doesn't blow a fuse trying to figure out where you are."

"I'm not as dumb as you think I am. I could slip away from you when you're not looking and run for help." Rose countered.

"Yes, dearie, that's why I reactivated the chip. You see; it's insurance against any escape attempts. The moment you try to make a break for it, I'll turn the chip back on and you'll just willingly waltz right back into my open arms. Besides, what are you going to say when you ask for help? Help me, a time traveling alien kidnapped me and took me away from my alien boyfriend? They'll lock you in the loony bin and throw away the key, so I think it's in your best interest to stay with me and behave yourself."

He snatched Rose's hand and jerked it when she tried to pull away from him.

"Let's go!" he snarled at her.

Rose gasped when he nearly jerked her arm out of her socket. She glared at him silently as she followed him out of the alley onto the pavement.

"Ugh!" The alternate Doctor said pinching his nose. "The stink of humanity. How can you lot stand it? You must not be able to smell very well because I'm about to puke from the stench."

He waved his hand in front of his nose.

"Right, let's get somewhere where I can breathe without having the overpowering scent of ape assaulting my nostrils."

He jerked on Rose's hand and she let out an angry sigh as she followed him. As they walked, she noticed the alternate Doctor looking around him in disdain at the people going about their daily lives.

"Stupid apes." He muttered as he watched them. "Pathetic. Wastes of space, that's all you are. Someone needs to blast this ball of mud into atoms and get rid of the bloody eyesore."

Rose sighed wishing that the TARDIS would just appear in front of them so the Doctor could step out, punch him and shut him up. Her heart ached thinking of him. She didn't know how long it would take before he found her, but she had to stay strong for him even if it meant listening to his double prattle on about how pathetic the human race was.

She was so lost in her thoughts; she didn't realize that the alternate Doctor had stopped until she walked right into him.

"Watch it!" he snarled at her.

Rose glared at him as he turned his head and looked up at a big screen TV mounted on a pole in front of them. She watched it with him and saw a young man with short brown hair standing behind a podium.

"My fellow citizens," The man said, smiling, as reporters snapped his picture. "I am honored that you have elected me your new Prime Minister. I pledge to do everything in my power to bring change not only to this country, but to the entire world."

"Time Lord."

Rose glanced back at the alternate Doctor who was pointing at the screen.

"A Time Lord." He muttered to himself.

Rose gasped when he spun around and seized her by the shoulders.

"I thought you said he was the only one!" he said.

Rose stared at him in confusion.

"What?"

"Your Doctor! You said he was the last of the Time Lords!"

"He is."

"Oh really? Well, who's that then?" the alternate Doctor said jabbing his finger at the TV.

Rose stared up at the man.

"I…I don't know." She said. "I've never seen him before."

She gasped when the Doctor jerked her body closer to him.

"He is a Time Lord!" he snarled.

Rose glanced back up at the man.

"No, the Doctor said there were no other Time Lords. He could feel them in his mind if there was." She said.

"Well, then there's yet another example of how addlebrained your lover is, because that man behind that podium is a Time Lord!"

"Who is he then?" Rose said.

"I have no idea, but you and I are gonna pay him a little visit. I want to see this Time Lord for myself."

He looked up at the screen and looked back at her.

"Where does the Prime Minister live? Where are his offices?" he asked.

Rose stared at him silently. She gasped when the alternate Doctor seized her face.

"Tell me or I'll enslave your mind and make you tell me!" he yelled.

Rose gulped.

"10 Downing Street." She said softly.

"Take me to it now!"

Rose sighed.

"Follow me." She said dully.

She gasped when the alternate Doctor jerked her arm.

"I'm warning you right here and now. No tricks, Rose, because you don't want me to punish you for disobedience, trust me." He said in her ear.

Rose nodded silently as she walked off with the alternate Doctor towards 10 Downing Street.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Stirring speech, sir, well done."

The Master looked over at the aide standing by the door. He forced a smile onto his face and nodded at the sycophantic fool.

"Thank you, Hobson." He said politely.

"May I be the first to wish you luck and hope that you have a long and successful term." Hobson said.

The Master nodded.

"Again, thank you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some paperwork that needs my attention."

"Oh yes, yes, of course sir." Hobson said backing up. "I'll be available if you need anything. Anything at all."

The Master smiled and nodded. He waited until Hobson was out of earshot before looking at Lucy Saxon who was standing beside him.

"Can you believe some of the ass kissers around here?" he said pointing to him. "I'm surprised he didn't get down on his hands and knees and lick my shoes."

Lucy smiled and nodded. The Master raised her hand and kissed it. She really was a charming woman. When he first found her, she had been living out on the streets, a homeless vagrant begging for spare change. He hadn't bothered to find out who she was when he hypnotized her and enslaved her mind. She did tell him her first name was Lucy, but that was all he knew about her. Her married name, Saxon, and her past history had been thought up by him and planted in her mind as part of the hypnotic suggestion. Originally, he was just going to use her as part of his scheme to take over the office of Prime Minister. After all, it looked better for him if he were married. But, now he found he was growing quite fond of his new bride. He had always ridiculed the Doctor for taking humans along with him when he traveled, but now he could see why he did. It seemed not all humans were worthless. But, just because he had feelings for Lucy didn't mean he was going to release her from his influence and have her blab to the press about him. That wouldn't do at all. Taking her hand in his, he led her away towards his office.

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"May I help you sir?" The receptionist said looking up at the alternate Doctor and Rose.

"Yes, I wish to see Prime Minister…um…"

He noticed the Times lying on a nearby table with the headline HAROLD SAXON ELECTED PRIME MINISTER.

"Harold Saxon." The alternate Doctor finished looking back at the receptionist. "I wish to speak with Harold Saxon."

"And what is this regarding?" the receptionist asked.

The alternate Doctor smiled.

"Well, let's just say that I'm a colleague from back home." He said.

"I'm sorry, sir, Mister Saxon is not seeing anyone at the moment. He's busy. Perhaps if you come back another time?"

"No, I wish to see him now."

"He is busy, sir."

"So am I, which is why I made time to come over and talk to him."

The receptionist sighed.

"Sir, he is not seeing anyone. I…"

Rose gasped when the alternate Doctor punched her hard in the face.

"He WILL see me!" he snarled at the unconscious receptionist.

He tugged Rose's arm.

"Come along, Rose." He said cheerfully. "Mister Saxon's expecting us."

Rose shook her head as she walked with him.

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The Master put his head in his hand while he scanned the mounds of paperwork on his desk. Lucy sat quietly in a chair beside him.

"Ugh, humans, always complicating things. I mean, come on, how many forms do you really need to sign to get a law passed? Just go on TV, tell the world what you want done and then enforce it by any means necessary if they won't comply. You don't need to chop down an entire forest for that. Bunch of bureaucratic nonsense if you ask me."

He sighed.

"Still, if I have to play this game for awhile, I will."

He looked over at Lucy.

"Dear, why don't you go have a lie down? I'm gonna be busy for awhile."

Lucy nodded and stood up. The Master smiled at her as she exited the room.

He looked back at the paperwork.

"Now, let's see, If I can figure all this out." He said shuffling through them.

He tapped the end of his pen on his chin while he read through one of the forms. As he tapped, he suddenly became aware that he was tapping along to the drumming in his head. Sighing, he laid the pen down by the forms and put his head back in his hand.

He got halfway through the form when he heard someone knocking on the door. He glanced up and sighed.

"Great, Hobson's back for more ass kissing, I bet." He muttered.

He cleared his throat.

"Come in." he said.

The door opened and the Master jumped out of the chair not believing what he was seeing.

"You? How did you get here?" he said.

The alternate Doctor raised his eyebrow.

"I walked down the hall and found your office." He said.

"No, how did you get back?" the Master demanded.

The alternate Doctor frowned.

"Back from where?" he said. "I just got here!"

The Master looked at him and looked at the blonde girl standing beside him.

"Where are they?" he demanded.

"Where are who?"

"The…your two companions! Where are they now?"

"Two? I only have one. Are you blind?" the alternate Doctor said gesturing to Rose.

The Master reached into the top drawer of his desk and pulled out a gun. He aimed it at the alternate Doctor as Rose tried to get behind him.

"I'll kill you, Doctor, I swear I will! I'll shoot you until you are dead!"

The Doctor frowned.

"Wait, you know who I am?"

"Of course I know who you are, idiot! I just left you and your buddies stranded in the future. Now tell me how you got back!"

The Doctor stared at him for a moment and then it started to sink in.

"Oh, I see. You mean my double." He said.

The Master frowned.

"Double? What the hell are you talking about?" he said.

The alternate Doctor pulled Rose inside and closed the door behind them.

"Sit, Rose." He said pointing to the chair beside the desk.

Rose obeyed while the alternate Doctor walked to the front of the desk. The Master pointed the gun at him nervously. The alternate Doctor sighed. He pulled up another chair and sat down in front of the desk.

"Put the gun away and let me explain." He said.

The Master eyed him warily for a moment, and then he slowly put the gun back in the open drawer.

"This better be good." The Master said keeping his hand by the gun.

The alternate Doctor cleared his throat.

"I assume since you are a Time Lord that you know all about alternate realities." He said.

"Yes…"

"Okay, well, I am the Doctor from an alternate reality." He said. "I used a void crossing device to come here because I am on the run from the Gallifreyans in my universe."

"O…kay…"

"This is Rose." He said pointing to her. "She was sucked into my reality by accident when she and your Doctor fought and defeated an invasion force made up of Daleks and Cybermen."

The Master frowned, but said nothing.

"Now…even though I resemble the Doctor from this reality, I am nothing like him. Her Doctor is a spineless do-gooding wimp. I am a brave, strong, regal Time Lord."

Rose snorted. The alternate Doctor ignored her.

"Now, unlike her Doctor, I think that the Time Lords are superior and we were created to rule over all the lesser beings of the universe."

The Master perked up at that.

"That is why I came here. You see, when I heard that Gallifrey had been destroyed---"

"I'm sorry, wait, what?" the Master said.

"Gallifrey? It's been destroyed."

"It's been what?"

"Destroyed! Are you deaf as well as blind?"

The Master glared at him.

"Don't talk to me like that, if you know what's good for you."

He gasped when the Doctor slammed his hands down on the desk and lunged across it.

"And don't threaten me!" he snarled in his face. "I kill without a thought and I have no problem killing you even if you are a Time Lord, so don't piss me off! You got that?"

The Master stared at him ,wide-eyed, and nodded. The alternate Doctor sat back down in his seat.

"Now, as I was saying, Gallifrey is destroyed. You are not aware of that?"

"No."

"Why? Have you been here on Earth or something?"

"No, I was living as a human in the year 100 trillion."

The alternate Doctor stared at him.

"I'm sorry; I don't think I heard you right, you said you were a human living 100 trillion years in the future?"

"Yes."

"You're a human?" the Doctor said confused.

"No, not anymore, I used the chameleon arch to turn me into a human."

The alternate Doctor frowned.

"Chameleon arch? What the hell is that?"

"It turns a Time Lord into a human." Rose said.

The alternate Doctor stared at her.

"How do you know?"

"Because my Doctor did it a few months ago when he was being hunted by aliens. He made himself human, so he could hide out in England in the year 1913."

The alternate Doctor's eyes bugged out.

"He willingly turned himself into an ape? Rassilon, the more I hear about this man, the more I want to commit him." He said.

He looked at the Master.

"Okay, so why exactly did you do it?"

"To escape the Time War."

"Why did you want to escape it?"

"I didn't want to fight, so I fled to the year 100 trillion and made myself human so they wouldn't find me."

"Wow, talk about being desperate not to fight." The alternate Doctor muttered. "So, how did you become a Time Lord again?"

"I put myself into a watch and when I opened it, I realized who I was again."

"You put…yourself…into a watch?" the alternate Doctor said slowly.

"I put my memories and my personality into a specially made pocket watch. The watch protected that part of me while I was human."

The alternate Doctor put his elbow on the desk and put his head in his hand.

"Hmmm, interesting. So…what made you decide to return to normal then?"

"It was by accident. I ignored the watch because it had a perception filter on it. When I finally focused my attention on it, i opened it up and when I was restored, I suddenly realized who I was and who the Doctor was and---"

"Whoa, wait, stop right there!" the alternate Doctor said holding up his hand. "The other Doctor went to the year 100 trillion?"

"Yes."

"Seriously?"

"Yes." The Master said frowning.

His frown deepened when the alternate Doctor threw back his head and roared with laughter.

"Omega's orifice, did the dumb shit really think I went THAT far in the future?" he said. "I mean, wow, I never in all my lives would have even considered going to the year 100 trillion."

He looked at Rose.

"Gotta hand it to ya, your sweetie does know how to think outside the box!"

She glared at him as he roared with laughter.

The Master looked over at Rose.

"What is going on?" he said gesturing to the alternate Doctor.

"What's going on is I have had a couple of run-ins now with your Doctor. He caught me one time and imprisoned me on my Gallifrey. I escaped and used a void crossing device to come back over here and put a little chip in his pets' heads. A chip, I might add, that Rose still carries in her head although at the moment it's lying dormant. Anyway, I put a chip in her and Martha's heads and sent them to assassinate the Doctor. It would have worked too if we hadn't gone to this desert planet and got captured by this race of snake men. The Doctor managed to disable the chips and get them back. We found each other and he insisted we battle to the death in front of all these snake men. We fought and at the last minute, they sent in this huge snake that the Doctor killed. He then demanded that they free him and Rose and Martha and they grabbed the leader, but when I asked to go along with them, the Doctor refused and set all these warriors on me. Luckily, my psychic link with my TARDIS was strong enough that I could mentally send out a distress signal and he came and formed around me protecting me from the warriors. I dispatched the two warriors that ended up in the TARDIS with me and used it to get away. I then found out where my double had gone, impersonated him and kidnapped his beloved. Now he's on a search for us and apparently he thought I went to the year 100 trillion."

He put his hands behind his head and leaned back in the chair.

"And that's where he found you, eh?" he said. "So, I take it from your reaction when I walked in that he's still there?"

"Yes, I took his TARDIS and used it to come back here."

Rose gasped and shook her head.

The alternate Doctor grinned at her.

"Hear that, Rose? Dumb-dumb and Martha are trapped 100 trillion years in the future. How will they ever get back to you now?"

"He'll find a way. He always finds a way." Rose muttered.

The alternate Doctor chuckled.

"That's what I love about her. Her blind faith in her sweetie is so endearing." He said to the Master. "So, what about you? Now that you're back and Prime Minister, what are your plans?"

"Why should I tell you?" the Master said narrowing his eyes.

The alternate Doctor's mouth dropped open.

"I think you should tell me because it seems as if we're on the same side here." He said angrily. "It seems to me that we both want the Doctor dead, so why not join forces and work together?'

"Excuse me; didn't YOU hear what I've been saying? The Doctor is trapped in the year 100 trillion, I have his TARDIS and there is no way back."

The alternate Doctor sighed.

"As much as I want to believe that, I wouldn't breathe easy just yet. Rose's faith may be childish, but the Doctor does have brains enough to figure out a way to escape, I'll begrudge him that. Until we know for sure he's dead, I think it would be safer to stick together."

The Master regarded him silently.

"How do I know this isn't a trick, and you're just like my Doctor? How do I know you're not THE Doctor and you're just saying all this so I'll let down my guard?"

The alternate Doctor sighed.

"Rose, tell him." He said gesturing to the Master.

"He's telling the truth. He's not the Doctor from this reality." She said.

"How do I know you're not playing along?"

"You don't, alright?" the alternate Doctor said angrily. "I guess you're just gonna have to trust me, otherwise, we're gonna get nowhere with this."

The Master eyed him trying to decide whether or not to trust him. Even if this Doctor was different, he was still the Doctor and he didn't really feel all that comfortable letting him in on his plans. Still, if he was just as committed to destroying his Doctor as he was, perhaps he could be useful should his Doctor ever decide to rear his ugly head again. Slowly, he nodded.

"Alright, I'll trust you...for the moment anyway." The Master said.

The alternate Doctor smiled.

"Excellent! I could always use more help killing my dimwitted double. Now…he said," slapping his hands together. "What's the plan?"

Rose swallowed hard pushing back the rising fear as the two men leaned in close and the Master began to whisper his plans.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"So, you built a paradox machine using the Doctor's TARDIS?" the alternate Doctor asked the Master as he and Rose followed him along the corridor.

The Master nodded.

"Yup, I have it stored in a very special place. Just follow me and I'll take you to it." He said.

The alternate Doctor glanced back at Rose.

"Don't get any ideas, Rose." He warned her.

"About what? Using the TARDIS? I don't even know how to fly it."

"Just checking." He said.

He smiled at her.

"You've been a good girl so far, Rose. Keep it up and I won't have to be mean and turn on the chip."

Rose rolled her eyes when he turned his head back around.

As they passed by reception, they stopped short when the receptionist suddenly ran in front of the Master.

"Mister Saxon! That man punched me in the face and knocked me out!" she said pointing at the alternate Doctor.

The Master looked at her black eye. He looked back at the alternate Doctor.

"Uh…yeah, sorry, she wouldn't let us by so I had to resort to extreme measures." He said shrugging.

"Should I call the police, Mister Saxon?" the receptionist said.

"Um, no, that won't be necessary, Mable. He's with me."

Mable's mouth dropped open.

"But…but he punched me in the face." She protested.

"Yes, but who around here hasn't wanted to punch you in the face, Mable; you're completely annoying." The Master said. "Anyway, you're alive, you're conscious. You don't have a concussion. You're fine, no harm done. Just forget about it. My friend tends to overreact sometimes. Then again, who doesn't at one time or another, eh?"

She patted Mable on the shoulder as she stared back at him in shock.

"Keep up the good job, Mable. Now if you'll excuse me, I and my friends have to get in the limo. See ya later!"

They walked past her as Mable watched them in stunned silence.

The Doctor laughed as they walked out the door and headed to the limo parked a few feet away.

"Ah, that was great, the look on her face was pure gold." The alternate Doctor said.

He looked back at Rose and saw her angry look.

"Of course, the little ape back here doesn't approve. But then again, she's a human and doesn't get Time Lord humor, so we have to forgive her for that."

They walked to the limo and the Master smiled as his driver opened the door for them.

"Guests first." He said gesturing inside.

The alternate Doctor got in. Rose hesitated wanting nothing more than to take off running down the street.

"Get in, Rose, before I activate mister chippy." The alternate Doctor called to her.

Rose sighed and got inside. She sat beside the alternate Doctor and flinched when he put his hand on her knee."

"What's wrong, don't ya wanna make out in the limo?" he purred as the Master got in beside her.

"Leave me alone." She muttered.

She gasped when the alternate Doctor seized her wrist and leaned in.

"I will do what I want when I want." He hissed in her ear. "You will not talk back to me in any way shape or form or I'll have that chip back on lickety split. You got that, Rose?"

Rose winced when he squeezed her wrist until she felt like he was gonna break it.

"You belong to me, Rose." He whispered. "The Doctor can't reach you now, so if I were you, I'd keep that insolent gob in check or I'll have Saxon over there send the TARDIS back to him with your body parts scattered all over it."

He released her and leaned back over as Rose fought back her tears and rubbed her aching wrist. The Master regarded them both silently. He remembered when he was Yana, hearing the Doctor talking to Jack about Rose and discussing where she might be. It was ironic to him that she had been here all this time with another version of the same man. It almost made him wish the Doctor did have a way to return. He was kinda curious to see the two of them battle it out. He looked back at Rose and decided to talk to her if only to ease the tension hanging over all of them.

He cleared his throat.

"The Doctor spoke of you. Your…Doctor, I mean." He said.

Rose and the alternate Doctor looked at him. The alternate Doctor let out a derisive snort and turned his head to look out the window, but Rose swallowed.

"What…what did he say?" she said hesitantly.

The Master paused and looked at the alternate Doctor.

"Is it alright to talk to her?" He asked.

"Go ahead," he replied, looking out the window. "If she wants to hear about the dimwit, let her."

"Well, I just noticed you got angry when she opened her mouth a moment ago."

The Doctor turned his head and glared at him.

"I don't object to her talking, I object to her mouthing off and being insolent." He said. "Whether she likes it or not, she is mine now and I will not tolerate her backtalk. As long as she is respectful, I will allow her to speak."

His eyes shifted to Rose and the Master's eyes widened in disbelief when the alternate Doctor's eyes became even blacker than they were before. She glanced at Rose and noticed she was looking him right in the eyes, completely unafraid. The girl didn't look like she was barely out of her teens, but the Master had to admit she had guts.

The alternate Doctor turned his head back to the window and Rose turned back to him.

"What did he say?" she asked with more conviction.

"Just that he was anxious to get back to you and hoped you were alright."

The alternate Doctor snorted as he stared out the window.

"How…do you know him? Do you know him?"

"Oh yeah, he and I go way back." He said. "We went to academy together and we were best friends then."

"What happened?" Rose asked.

The Master shrugged.

"Differences in ideology, I guess. The Doctor believes in helping people with no thought of reward and I believe in ruling over them with an iron hand. He believes in exploring the universe and I believe in conquering it. Needless to say we didn't end up sharing a flat or anything like that."

He glanced at her.

"What about you? Where did he find you?" he asked.

"Here in London. I…uh…was working at Henrick's department store in 2005 and the Doctor saved me from the Autons and I helped him destroy the Nestene consciousness. After that, he asked me to come with him."

"Hmm, Nestene consciousness and the Autons. That brings back memories." The Master mused.

He looked at the alternate Doctor.

"Did you have them in the other universe?"

The alternate Doctor looked at him.

"Have what?"

"The Nestene consciousness and the Autons?"

"Um…if we did, I never ran into them." He said. "I really didn't meet up with things like that. I mainly traveled through time and space plundering and killing. I'm not like my idiotic twin who actually goes looking for monsters to fight. I have more brains than that!"

He turned his head back around. The Master sighed disliking the Doctor's double more and more with each passing moment. He was starting to regret teaming up with him. He hoped that he wouldn't live to regret his decision.

Rose, meanwhile, had lapsed into silence. The Master watched her as she fiddled with the hem on her shirt. She was pretty. Not as pretty as Lucy was, but pretty just the same. He could tell she had brains as well as guts. This Doctor might have her under his control at the moment, but he could sense that it wouldn't last forever. The Doctor chose his companions carefully and he knew one of the things he looked for was brains. Rose might look innocent, but he could tell she was no fool. The first chance she got, he knew she would try to get away from the Doctor. He didn't know if she was capable of harming or even killing him or this other Doctor, but he wouldn't put anything past her. He had survived this long because he was vigilant and watched his back. Rose could be just as dangerous as the Doctor, if not more so. He would keep just as close an eye on her as he would on him.

He looked out the window when he saw they were nearing the airport and relaxed. At least they could get out of this enclosed car and he could get a bit of space between himself and them.

The limo drove around to the runway and he pointed to a helicopter.

"We'll go in that." He said to them.

The alternate Doctor and Rose looked at the helicopter and looked at him.

"Where is his TARDIS?" the alternate Doctor said.

The Master grinned.

"You'll see." He said.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

(Meanwhile in the year 100 trillion…)

Jack breathed a sigh of relief when he stepped into the TARDIS behind the Doctor.

"Oh yeah, it feels so good to be back in here." He said.

He looked at the Doctor.

"So, who is this Martha?" he asked.

"She's back here. Follow me." He said beckoning to him.

Jack nodded and followed him out of the room. He led him down the hall towards Martha's room. Jack stopped when they passed by Rose's room and opened the door. He leaned in. The only living thing in the room was Puff asleep in his cage.

"Jack."

Jack looked back at the Doctor.

"Rose, where is she?" he said.

"I'll explain in a minute. Just follow me." He said.

Jack nodded and closed the door. They passed by a few more doors and then the Doctor stopped and opened one. He leaned his head in and smiled. He nodded at Jack and he followed him inside. He paused when he saw Martha asleep in the bed.

"Wow, Doctor, you really do know how to pick the gorgeous ones." He said to himself.

He watched as the Doctor sat down beside Martha and shook her gently.

"Martha." He said. "Martha, wake up."

Martha frowned in her sleep and mumbled something.

"Martha, wake up."

She slowly opened her eyes.

"Doctor?" she murmured.

"Yes, it's me."

She looked up at him.

"You're the right Doctor, yeah?" she said hesitantly.

Jack frowned at that.

The Doctor smiled.

"Yes, I'm the right one, Miss Martha Jones, who I met on the moon."

Martha smiled and the Doctor helped her sit up.

"Ugh, I have a huge headache." She said rubbing the spot behind her left ear.

"I'll give you another shot of painkiller." The Doctor replied. "That'll fix it."

Martha looked over at Jack and frowned.

"Who's that?" she said.

The Doctor opened his mouth to speak, but Jack cut him to the quick.

"Captain Jack Harkness, it's a pleasure to meet you!" he said walking over and taking her hand.

"You too. I'm Martha Jones."

"Nice to meet ya, Martha Jones." He said as he started to bring her hand up to his lips.

"Stop it!" the Doctor said glaring at him.

"What, I'm just saying hello to her!"

"I don't mind, Doctor, really." Martha said to him.

"You will mind when he throws you in his bed and pounces on you." The Doctor muttered to himself.

Jack sat down beside the Doctor.

"Not to be rude here because it's a pleasure to meet Martha, but where is Rose?" Jack said looking at the Doctor.

The Doctor and Martha exchanged looks. The Doctor sighed.

"She's missing, Jack." He said. "She's been taken."

"Oh God. By who?"

The Doctor and Martha glanced at each other again.

"By me." The Doctor said to him.

Jack raised his eyebrow.

"Come again?" he said.

The Doctor took a deep breath and proceeded to fill Jack in on everything that had happened since he had first met his double.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack sat in stunned silence when the Doctor finally finished.

"So this other you took Rose and now you don't know where he's gone." He said.

"Nope, I haven't a clue." The Doctor replied.

"So, you thought he might be in Cardiff?" Jack asked.

"No, I was there because I wanted to use the rift to power up before Martha and I began searching. I was just about to leave when you happened along. And now because of you, we're in the year 100 trillion."

"Me, what do I have to do with it?"

"The TARDIS was trying to throw you off, Jack. It went all the way to the end of the universe to try to get rid of you."

"Well, you were leaving, I had no other choice. I was screaming at you, but you wouldn't let me in."

"I didn't want to let you in."

Martha looked at the Doctor. Jack folded his arms over his chest.

"May I ask why?" he said angrily.

"Because you've changed, Jack. You're different."

"Yeah, tell me something I don't know." Jack replied.

"What do you mean, Doctor?" Martha asked.

"I'm immortal, that's what he means."

Martha's eyes bugged out.

"You are?"

"Yes, he is." The Doctor replied. "That's how he was able to survive hanging on to the outside of the TARDIS."

"But, why didn't you let him inside? Didn't you know he was yelling for you to stop?"

"Yes, I knew he was yelling and I tried to get away before he could reach me."

"Why?" Jack said angrily.

He leaned forward.

"Because you're wrong, Jack. You shouldn't exist. You shouldn't be here. Time Lords flee from the likes of you, Jack, and so do their TARDISes. That's why I left you behind on the Gamestation and why I tried to leave you behind in Cardiff."

Jack was stunned.

"So you left your best friend behind because he's a freak now?" Jack said angrily.

The Doctor shrugged.

"I can't help what you've become, Jack. I can't help it if I obeyed my gut instinct and did the thing that came naturally to me."

"So, you want me to leave then?"

The Doctor sighed.

"Now it would be kinda heartless for me to leave you in the year 100 trillion, wouldn't it?"

"And leaving me behind on the Gamestation wasn't heartless?"

Martha looked at the two men as they stared at one another intently. Finally, the Doctor let out a long sigh.

"I'm sorry, Jack." He said. "I'm sorry I left you behind. It was heartless of me to do that and I apologize."

Jack nodded.

"Apology accepted." He said.

The Doctor nodded.

"Good." He said.

"But," Martha said. "If you were stranded on this…Gamestation…how did you get back to Cardiff?"

"With this." He said pulling a black device out of his coat pocket. "A vortex manipulator. Once I realized I'd been left behind, I used it to travel back to the twenty-first century. Unfortunately, I ended up in the nineteenth and then it shorted out and I really was stuck. I spent the next hundred and fifty years waiting to catch up with him. That's one of the very few reasons why I like being immortal. I sat up shop in Cardiff and just kept my eyes open for him and finally he came back."

He sighed.

"I was hoping to see Rose too, but I guess that reunion has to wait." He said sadly.

"Indeed, and the more time we spend talking, the less time we have to look for her. So, I suggest we figure out where they might have gone and head out."

The Doctor looked at Martha.

"Are you strong enough now?"

Martha nodded.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Head's just aching a bit."

He nodded.

"I'll go get the painkiller then. Wait right here."

He got up from the bed. Jack and Martha watched as he walked out the room.

"So, how long have you known him?" Jack asked Martha.

"For about a year. We met when the hospital I worked in ended up on the moon and I helped him defeat a Plasmavore. After that, he offered me a trip as a way of saying thank you and then another and another and finally I just became his companion. I was by myself until we found Rose and then the two of us traveled with him. Now, she's gone and I'm back to being by myself."

"Are you upset about that?" Jack asked.

"Well, yeah, I like Rose. She's one of my closest friends. Why?"

"Well, you know, she and the Doctor have this thing and I know what it's like to be on the outside looking in."

"Well, yeah, I do admit I was jealous of Rose before I met her, because the Doctor did talk constantly about her. But, once I got to know her, I realized how childish I had been. I don't mind them being in love. I love that the Doctor's happy. It beats hanging around him when Rose was stuck in the other universe. The Doctor cares for me deeply in a platonic way and I've never felt like the third wheel around them. The three of us are a team and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Darn, and I was all set to hear about the tremendous catfights that went on in here." He said.

Martha laughed.

"Nope, sorry, no catfights to report." She said.

"Good, I'm actually glad of that."

They looked over when the Doctor appeared carrying a syringe and a cotton ball in his hands.

"Ugh, you're giving me a shot?" Martha said making a face.

"Yeah, it's the quickest way for the medicine to enter your bloodstream." The Doctor replied sitting down beside her. "Now just hold still while I stick this in your incision.

Martha flinched.

"Excuse me? You're sticking that where?"

The Doctor's eyes widened.

"Your incision." He said. "If I stick this right in your brain, the pain will be gone in an instant."

"You are not sticking any bloody needles in my brain, mister!" She said jumping up from the bed. "If that's where it's gonna go, I'd rather do without it. I..."

She paused when she saw the impish grin on his face.

"You are such a bastard sometimes, you know that." She said as the Doctor snickered.

She sat back down and the Doctor pulled up her sleeve. He rubbed the cotton ball on her shoulder and she winced when he stuck the needle in her arm.

"Ugh, always hated getting shots." She muttered to Jack.

"Better than getting shot. That hurts even more." Jack said pointing to his chest.

The Doctor pulled the empty syringe out. He took it and the cotton ball and walked back out the door. By the time he returned empty handed, Martha's pain was gone.

"Feel better?" the Doctor asked her.

"Tons! What was that stuff?"

"Oh, just a special mixture I got from a shaman on Andromeda." The Doctor said shrugging. "Much more potent than any Earth medicine."

"Wow!" Martha said. "Glad you had it then."

"Yup, so did I. If we're gonna look for Rose, we need all the help we can get."

He looked at Jack.

"And that includes the stowaways." He said. "So, do you wanna help us?"

"Find Rose, are you kidding, of course I'll help."

"Good." The Doctor said helping Martha to stand. "Then, let's get to it. I need both of you to think of possible locations they could have gone."

They walked towards the console room as they brainstormed. Martha threw out a few suggestions, but since the Doctor and Jack were seasoned time travelers, she let them do the bulk of the brainwork.

As they entered the console room, the three friends paused when they heard someone banging and scratching on the front door.

"HELP! IF ANYONE IS IN HERE, HELP ME!" they heard a man scream."FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, OPEN UP! THE FUTUREKIND ARE AFTER ME!"

They looked at one another and the Doctor sprinted to the door. He opened it just in time to see the man running off followed by three men wielding weapons and yelling and screaming at him. The Doctor looked back at Jack and Martha.

"Come on, we gotta attend to this first before we can leave here!" the Doctor said.

Martha and Jack looked at each other and ran to the door. The Doctor let them pass and closed the door behind them as they went off to help the stranger.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

(2007)

"Incredible!" the alternate Doctor said looking around at the interior of the Valiant. "A flying aircraft carrier. Astounding. Where did you get it?"

"It was partly designed by me when I was minister of defense. There are only a handful of crew members on board at the moment that are completely hypnotized so no one will bother us while I show you my prize."

Rose glanced at the alternate Doctor and could see the excitement in his eyes. She could practically hear the gears turning in his head and knew he was thinking up ways to get the Valiant away from the Master and use it to take over the world. She shook her head. She couldn't make up her mind who was crazier, the alternate Doctor or the Master.

The Master led them through a series of corridors to a locked room. Unlocking the door, he swung it open and Rose's heart skipped a beat when she saw the familiar blue box standing on the other side of the room. She thought of the Doctor stuck in the future without it and her heart ached for him.

As they walked towards it, three silver and black spheres suddenly flew around the TARDIS and hovered in front of them.

"Who goes there?" a male voice said.

"It's alright. It's just me." The Master said. "I want to show my friends the TARDIS. Let us pass."

"Yes, Master." The three spheres said in unison.

The backed up and hovered silently as the Master led the alternate Doctor and Rose to the TARDIS.

The alternate Doctor looked back at the spheres while the Master used the TARDIS key to unlock the door.

"What are these things?" the alternate Doctor said gesturing to them.

The Master smiled.

"The Toclafane. They're my children." He said proudly.

He opened the TARDIS doors and the alternate Doctor and Rose stepped inside. Rose gasped when she saw the interior. It was glowing with an eerie red glow and the console and central column had been tampered with to the point that it almost was unrecognizable. The alternate Doctor stepped up to it and stared inside.

"Is this…Is this a paradox machine?" he said spinning around.

The Master smiled.

"It is." He said.

The alternate Doctor turned back around and stared at it in awe.

"Why…Why have you done this?" Rose asked the Master.

The Master smiled at her.

"You see those Toclafane out there? They aren't the only ones. You see, I took this TARDIS back to the year 100 trillion and well…let me show you."

He walked over to the door.

"Come to me." He said to the nearest Toclafane.

"Yes Master." She said flying inside.

The Master walked over to the captain's chair followed by Rose and the alternate Doctor.

"Come here." He said to the Toclafane.

"Yes Master."

The sphere flew over and floated down onto the captain's chair.

"Open." He commanded the Toclafane.

"Yes Master."

The sphere opened like a flower and the Master stepped back as the alternate Doctor and Rose leaned in to look inside. Rose's eyes widened when she saw a pair of eyes staring back at her. She felt revulsion when she realized she was looking at a disfigured human face. She glanced over at the alternate Doctor and saw he was staring at the Toclafane with fascination.

"What is this?" he said leaning back up and looking at the Master. "It looks like a human face."

"It is. It was once a whole human being. Her and her people's world was about to be destroyed and they were headed to a place called Utopia to escape, but when they got there they found only darkness. They were in despair and unsure what to do so they regressed themselves back to a childlike state. I found them and brought a few here and soon I will bring the rest and with their help I will conquer Earth and bring forth the new Time Lord Empire with me as its ruler. If Gallifrey is gone, then I will resurrect it on Earth and using this planet as a base of operations, I will conquer the universe and bring about the golden age of the Time Lords. This child and her siblings will help make that happen."

"How?" the alternate Doctor asked.

The Master smiled.

"Close." He said to the Toclafane.

"Yes Master." The Toclafane said folding itself up and rising into the air.

"Wait here, I'll be right back." The Master said running out the door.

The alternate Doctor turned to Rose.

"Ah, this is just getting better and better every minute. My double is trapped, his TARDIS has been turned into a paradox machine and the apes will soon be annihilated and their planet put to better use. Who could ask for a better outcome?"

"If I were you, I'd remember your words about how clever the Doctor is and how it would be a mistake to underestimate him." Rose told him.

"Yes, I did say that, but that's before I saw all this." He said waving his hand at the interior. "The TARDIS is useless now. It can't travel anywhere, so unless the Doctor is able to fly through the vortex, he's pretty much stuck in the future."

He put his arm around Rose's back.

"Guess it's time for you to switch sides, eh, Rose?" he purred.

Rose jerked away from him.

"In your dreams." She said.

"Eh, you'll come around once you get it out of your head that the Doctor's not coming back." He said shrugging.

"In here."

Rose and the alternate Doctor jerked their heads around when they heard the Master's voice just outside the doors. He entered the TARDIS a moment later followed by a confused guard. As the guard looked around the interior of the TARDIS in awe, the Master strolled back to Rose and the alternate Doctor.

"Now, a demonstration of my child's abilities." He said.

He looked up at the Toclafane hovering above his head.

"Kill this man!" he said pointing at the guard.

"Yes Master!"

The man looked up at the Toclafane. He grabbed his gun and tried to shoot it, but the bullets harmlessly bounced off the shell. It giggled as the man stared at the sphere in horror.

"That tickles." The Toclafane said. "Now it's my turn."

The man turned to run. The Toclafane shot a laser beam at his leg and he fell to the floor. He turned his body and screamed as sharp spikes shot out of the bottom and the Toclafane began to rip and slice the helpless man to shreds. Rose turned away and hid her eyes as the alternate Doctor and the Master watched with glee.

"Oh Rassilon, this is too good to be true." The alternate Doctor said softly. "The stupid apes will never stand a chance against your army."

"Precisely why I built the paradox machine. You see, my child has 6 billion sisters and brothers just waiting at the end of the universe for me to open a rift and let them through. And then…the real fun begins."

The alternate Doctor roared with laughter as Rose shut her eyes in despair. She forced herself to turn around and she put her hand over her mouth when she saw the mutilated remains of the guard lying on the TARDIS ramp. The man had been cut up so badly he was unrecognizable. The Toclafane flew back to the Master's side.

"Excellent." He said stroking the shell. "You did a good job. I'm proud of you."

The Toclafane giggled happily.

"Well," the Master said slapping his hands together. "Who's hungry? There are some tea and sandwiches and there's a nice big conference table that we can all sit at."

"Sounds good to me." The alternate Doctor said.

He took Rose's hand.

"Come along, my dear, it's time for tea."

He giggled at Rose's look of death and tugged her hand.

_The Doctor will take care of you._ She thought as she followed him and the Master out of the TARDIS. _You just wait._


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

The Master, the alternate Doctor and Rose sat together at a huge glass conference table. The Master and alternate Doctor chatted amicably as they ate their sandwiches. Rose, who had no appetite after the demonstration, sat quietly beside the alternate Doctor.

He looked at her.

"Drink up, Rose, your tea's getting cold." He said pointing to the cup in front of her.

"I don't want it." Rose muttered.

The alternate Doctor sighed and looked at the Master.

"No stomach for gore, I guess." He said shrugging. "Odd, since apparently my double sees a lot of death and destruction when the two of them travel around."

"Yes, and I still don't like watching it." She said to him. "That man was innocent. He did nothing to either one of you."

"He was a stinking ape. That's enough of an excuse for me." The alternate Doctor said.

"Rose, sometimes sacrifices must be made for the good of all." The Master said. "I believe the Doctor feels the same way."

"My Doctor doesn't kill anyone without a good reason." She shot back.

The Master snorted.

"Sure he doesn't." he muttered bringing his teacup to his lips.

Rose sighed and pushed back from the table.

"Where are you going?" the alternate Doctor said to her.

"I'm going up here. Is that alright with you?" she spat out, pointing to the stairs in front of the table.

The alternate Doctor shot her a warning look. Rose looked back at him daring him to do something. The alternate Doctor shook his head and sighed as he sipped his tea.

"Pathetic human, why a Time Lord would ever fall for such a repulsive ape is beyond me." He muttered.

"He noticed the Master glaring at him.

"What? Surely you agree. The only reason Rose is with me is because I'm using her as bait to lure the other Doctor to me. The only other reason I'd want her is as a slave. I have no feelings for her. If I did shag her, it would only be out of curiosity. So, I don't understand the look you're giving me."

"Because not all "apes" as you put it, are repulsive. There are a few who are worth keeping around."

The Doctor raised his eyebrow.

"Like who, Rose?"

The Master glanced up at Rose who was sitting on the top step watching them.

"No, I barely know her, so I really can't vouch for her. I was speaking of my wife, Lucy."

The alternate Doctor's eyes nearly popped out of his head. His mouth fell open as he dropped the hand holding the teacup back on the table.

"No. You didn't just say what I thought you just said." He said.

"What? That I'm married to a human?" the Master said shrugging. "Well, to be fair, we were never legally married, but she does share my bed and is my wife in every way that counts."

The alternate Doctor's face twisted in revulsion.

"What is it with Time Lords in this reality?" he said. "All of them seemed to have a weird ape fetish!"

"I wouldn't talk if I were you." The Master said.

The alternate Doctor narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean?" he said.

"I mean, Rose." The Master said pointing to her.

"What about her?"

"Why is she here?"

The alternate Doctor raised his eyebrow.

"I just told you," he said in a patronizing tone of voice. "I kidnapped her and---"

"Yes, but you have a TARDIS somewhere, don't you?"

"Yeah."

"Does your TARDIS have a prison or holding cell of some sort in it?"

"Yeah."

"So, why didn't you put Rose in it before you left?" the Master said. "Why isn't she hypnotized? You said she had a chip in her head, why isn't it on? Why are you just letting her sit there and listen to everything we say?"

The alternate Doctor glanced up at Rose who was giving him a pointed look. He looked back at the Master who was giving him the same look.

"As long as Rose behaves, I have no need to use the chip."

"Yes, but that's the point. You warned Rose if she mouthed off to you, you'd turn the chip on. Well, I've noticed since then that she's been mouthy a couple of times and you didn't do anything. Why?"

"I…I'm being merciful to her." The alternate Doctor stammered.

"No, I think you're sweet on the girl and you want her to fall in love with you."

The alternate Doctor made a face.

"I am not…sweet…on Rose. She means nothing to me."

"Why didn't you take the rest of his companions? He's got two more. Why aren't they here?"

"Two more? He's only got one more. A woman named Martha."

"No, when I was with him, there was a man named Jack along with Martha."

The alternate Doctor jerked his head around when he heard Rose let out an enormous gasp.

"Oh, this Jack a friend of yours?" he said, seeing the anguished look in her eyes. "Or is he another boyfriend you keep on the side?"

"Gee, you sound kinda jealous." The Master said.

The alternate Doctor swiveled his head around.

"I AM NOT INTERESTED IN HER!" he bellowed. "SHE IS A STUPID, FILTHY APE AND I DON'T SHAG APES UNLIKE SOME PEOPLE AROUND HERE!"

The Master studied him for a moment.

"Why are you being so defensive?" he finally said.

The alternate Doctor's mouth dropped open.

"I am not being defensive. I am getting angry!"

"Why, because I'm insinuating you might be an ape shagger?"

"Yes!"

"Why does that bother you so much?"

"Because I don't like apes!" the alternate Doctor said between gritted teeth.

"Then, why do you fly out of control if someone implies you are?" the Master countered. "You know, you talk about being this all-mighty Time Lord that's in control of all his emotions. But, you know what? You aren't. You are an extremely insecure person."

"Oh, look who's talking. You have to hypnotize everyone around you so they'll fawn over you and kiss your little arse." The alternate Doctor shot back.

"At least I'm not afraid to hypnotize someone unlike some people I know."

"All right, here, you want me to hypnotize Rose, fine."

Before Rose could react, he pulled the silver box out of his trench coat pocket and pushed the button. Rose's eyes glazed over and her body became rigid.

"Rose, get over here now!" he spat out.

"Yes, my lord." Rose said.

She walked over to the alternate Doctor.

"Kneel!" he said pointing to the ground.

Rose knelt in front of him.

The alternate Doctor gave the Master a pointed look.

"See, the chip's in there." He said pointing to Rose.

"I never said it wasn't." the Master said shrugging.

He stared at Rose who was looking up at the alternate Doctor.

"Impressive, but you see, I don't need to put chips in people's heads. I have other, better ways to go about it and I can hypnotize hundreds of people at once which is why I'm Prime Minister now. I hypnotized the entire country with my Archangel Network and got them to unknowingly vote for me. Are you capable of something like that, or do you just like turning young women into your sex slaves?"

The alternate Doctor's eyes were mere slits. The Master snorted.

"There you go again, getting defensive. My, such thin skin you have. My Doctor never flew off the handle at mere words."

He leaned forward and gestured to Rose.

"In fact, the Doctor can evoke the same reaction in his companions that you get when you turn these chips on. His companions are devoted to him, will fight for him, and die for him. His charisma alone does that, he needs no chip to get them to follow him blindly everywhere he goes. This, I think, is yet another example of why you are just a legend in your own mind. And I still stand by my gut feeling that there's more to you and Rose than meets the eye. Otherwise, why not wait and take Martha and Jack too?"

"There was no Jack!" the Doctor spat out.

The Master sighed.

"Alright, fine, Martha then. Why didn't you take Martha?"

"I didn't want her."

"Really, why?"

The Master leaned forward waiting for an answer.

"Because…there was no time to take them both. I needed to do what I had to do and get off the planet before I was detected." The alternate Doctor said through gritted teeth.

"Uh-huh."

The alternate Doctor sighed angrily.

"You know what, I'm not gonna continue this childish dialogue with you. I don't care if you think I'm in love with Rose. Think that all you like. My focus is on helping you take over this world and conquer the universe. Everything else is inconsequential."

"Oh, if everything else is inconsequential, than I guess that means Rose is expendable then. Let's just throw this worthless waste of space out the door and watch as she lands on the ground with a huge SPLAT! Should be fun!" he said, getting up and going towards her.

"My love, please protect me. Don't let him hurt me." Rose whimpered as she wrapped her arms around the alternate Doctor's leg.

The Master paused and gave the alternate Doctor an amused look.

"My love? Is that what she just said?" he said gleefully. "And look, she's just clinging to you. You programmed that in, did you?"

"I…I…"

"Because I'm assuming it's a type 4 neural inhibitor chip that you used, yes?" the Master said. "I actually have used those a time or two in the past and I do recall that it requires you to program in the slave's entire personality so they won't walk around like a zombie. Bit time consuming which is why I stopped using them."

He pointed to Rose trembling at the alternate Doctor's feet.

"Now, call me crazy, but she hasn't been acting like that up until now, which must mean the behavior is a result of the chip."

He leaned over and looked the alternate Doctor in the eyes.

"So, if you detest apes so much, why did you program the chip so the ape would call you her love and hang off you, hmmm?"

He smirked when the alternate Doctor glared back at him silently.

"Friendly word of advice," the Master said. "Not all Time Lords are stupid. You would do well to remember that."

He patted him on the shoulder.

"So, now that I've shown you the Valiant, let's get back home, shall we? I have a mound of paperwork that needs my attention. Busy, you know."

He glanced down at Rose.

"You gonna leave her like that?" he said pointing at her.

The alternate Doctor glared at him while he pressed the button on the box. The Master watched as Rose came to her senses, saw where she was and quickly scooted away from the alternate Doctor.

"Aw," the Master said giving him a sad face. "She doesn't want to be with you. How tragic. You make such a cute couple."

He smirked at the alternate Doctor.

"Well come on, kids, my pilot can't wait forever!" he said, walking towards the door.

The alternate Doctor glowered at him. He looked over at Rose who was sitting on the floor giving him a hateful look.

"Come on," he growled at her. "Get off the floor and get moving."

He shoved the box back in his trench coat pocket. He looked over and noticed Rose was eyeing it. She gasped as he suddenly seized her by the throat.

"Don't even think about it." He snarled at her.

Rose gasped and held her throat when he released his hold. Coughing, she got to her feet and gasped when the alternate Doctor grabbed her hand and dragged her towards the door.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

(100 Trillion)

The Doctor couldn't believe it. He had only meant to help one man get away from the savages pursuing him and now he and his friends were busy helping Professor Yana get the humans to Utopia. It seemed like every time he set out to do one thing, he got caught up in something else. Still, he couldn't bear the thought of humans being trapped and condemned to die. Not when he could do something about it.

So there he was, standing outside an irradiated room watching Jack fixing the couplings that would allow the rocket's engine to work. As Jack worked slowly, the Doctor sighed deeply, thinking of Rose. His Rose trapped somewhere in time and space at the mercy of his demented double. He closed his eyes in anguish wondering what he was doing to her. He prayed she was alright.

"We'll get her back, Doctor." Jack said.

He opened his eyes and noticed Jack had stopped and was staring at him.

"Keep working, Jack." He said.

Jack nodded and continued working on the couplings.

""We will find her, Doctor." He said.

"I know we will." The Doctor replied. "We just have to get this rocket started and then we'll be on our way."

He gave him a pointed look.

"And the faster you work, the faster we can get out of here."

"I'm working as fast as I can, believe me." Jack said starting on the third cylinder.

He began imputing the code for it.

"So, gotta ask," Jack said keeping his eyes on cylinder. "When did you regenerate?"

"Right after I left you." The Doctor replied. "Actually that's another reason why I left so fast, I was dying and I was vulnerable."

"What killed you? The Daleks?"

"No, Rose took care of them."

"Rose, I thought you sent her away."

"I did, she came back after looking into the heart of the TARDIS. She absorbed the time vortex. If a Time Lord did that, they'd become a god, a vengeful god, but she's human so the power didn't affect her that way. My innocent Rose used the power to save the ones she loved. That's why you're here now. She is the one who brought you back, Jack. But she couldn't control the power, so she accidently brought you back forever."

Jack nodded.

"I drew the vortex out of her, but it cost me my ninth life." the Doctor said.

He smiled.

"It was worth it, though, I would do anything for her. Heh, most people tell the ones they love that they would die for them, I've actually done it."

Jack grasped the handle and pulled it up.

"I don't mean to be rude, but I actually like the new, improved version of you." He grunted.

"Yeah, I do too, although for awhile I didn't because Rose was unsure how to act around me. I never mentioned that I could regenerate and it scared her half to death. When I died, we were just taking our first baby steps towards being a couple. When I regenerated, I was terrified because I thought that her love for me had been destroyed along with my former body, but to my surprise, we actually grew closer. I think it's this body, it's more approachable, more easygoing."

"More sexy."

The Doctor raised his eyebrow when Jack shrugged.

"Can't argue with the facts." He said.

The Doctor chuckled. He watched as Jack moved on to the forth cylinder and began to input the code.

"Jack, do you wanna die?" he asked.

Jack finished with the code, lifted the lid and grabbed a hold of the handle. He grunted when it wouldn't move.

"This one's stuck."

"Jack…"

Jack looked up at the Doctor.

"Do you wanna die?" he asked.

"I thought I did, but now…"

He grunted and felt the handle finally lift up.

"I'm not sure." He said. "I guess it's that old human fear of what comes afterwards. Nothing happens when I die, I don't see Heaven or Hell, I just wake up and maybe I'm afraid that is really all there is."

The Doctor nodded.

"At any rate, I'm not interested in dying right now. Not when Rose needs me." He said.

He sighed when he finally finished and stood back up.

"Good job, Jack."

"Thanks." he said wiping the sweat from his brow.

The Doctor stepped back and let him out.

"Okay, let's get this finished up and get the humans on to Utopia." He said to Jack as he closed the door. "Rose is in danger and every second we stay here puts her in even more danger."

Jack nodded.

"Then, what are we waiting for?"

The Doctor nodded and both of them ran back down the corridor anxious to finish up the preparations and leave.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(2007)

Rose gasped when the alternate Doctor jerked her arm as they followed the Master into 10 Downing Street. If she got out of this with her arm still attached to her body, it would be a miracle.

They passed by Mable who stared at the alternate Doctor warily. He smirked at her as he walked by. Mable sighed and answered her phone.

They headed down the corridor to the Master's office. Reaching it, he opened the door and smiled when he saw Lucy sitting on the couch reading.

"Darling," he said as she got up and walked over to him.

He gave her a passionate kiss on the lips. As they kissed, his eyes darted over to the alternate Doctor who was staring at him with disgust. They broke apart and he brought his hand up under her chin.

"How are you? Did you enjoy your nap?"

Lucy nodded.

"Where did you go?" she asked him.

"Ah, I was showing my new friends the Valiant." He said gesturing to Rose and the alternate Doctor. "Lucy Saxon, this is Rose and the Doctor. Guys, this is my WIFE, Lucy."

He snickered when the alternate Doctor rolled his eyes. Rose smiled at Lucy.

"It's nice to meet you." She said.

"You too." Lucy replied.

The Master smiled at his wife.

"Hey, I think I found you a new friend, my dear." He said to her. "That'll be great especially since me and my bosom buddy has a lot of things to take care of now."

He walked towards Rose and stopped just in front of her.

"Am I allowed to touch her?" he asked the alternate Doctor.

The alternate Doctor sighed.

"Yes, you're allowed to touch Rose." He said testily.

"Good."

He extended his hand and Rose took it hesitantly.

"I think you'll be more comfortable over on the couch with Lucy." He said to her as he guided her to the couch.

She nodded and sat down beside Lucy.

"So, now that our girls are comfortable, let's get down to business, eh?" he said pointing to the chair beside him.

The alternate Doctor pulled the chair up close to him. They leaned in and whispered to each other while Rose watched them. She looked over at Lucy.

"So…you too are married?" she asked.

"Yes, we are." Lucy replied smiling.

Rose stared at her. There was a glazed, blank look in her eyes. Her heart ached wondering who this woman really was. If she had any family or friends who were missing her, looking for her. She sighed. The Doctor just had to get back to the present somehow and stop all this before these two destroyed any more lives.

Not wanting to draw the attention of the two plotting maniacs, she decided to make some small talk with Lucy. As she and her chatted amicably, she kept glancing at the alternate Doctor's trench coat pocket. If only she could get the box away from him and destroy it, then she could get away from her captors safely and maybe figure out a way to get the TARDIS fixed and get back to the Doctor, Martha and Jack. It was a long shot, but it was better than sitting around doing nothing. She had helped returned the TARDIS to the Doctor once before and God willing she would do it again, even if she had to die to do it.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

(100 Trillion)

The Doctor couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was sure Martha was wrong. She had to be wrong. How could Yana have a duplicate of the watch? The watch that held his memories a few months ago. It had to be a mistake. There were no other Time Lords. It was just him. He was the only one. He had to be the only one.

"What did he say, Martha?" he asked looking at her.

She didn't say anything.

"WHAT DID HE SAY?" He bellowed.

He could tell she was terrified at his sudden rage, but he didn't care. He had to know if she was telling the truth.

"He looked at the watch like he could hardly see it like that perception filter thing." she said hesitantly.

The Doctor's blood ran cold.

"What about now? Can he see it now?" he asked, dreading the answer.

Martha swallowed hard and nodded slowly. The Doctor stared at her for a moment and then quickly hurried back to what he was doing. He would confront this problem, but first he had to launch the rocket and make sure it got away from the planet.

Jack came running up to him.

"Escaped the Time War, then it's the perfect place to hide. The end of the universe."

The Doctor ignored him. However, he couldn't block out Martha's words.

"Think what the Face of Boe said."

The Doctor's throat constricted.

"His dying words. He said."

The Doctor chose that exact moment to launch the rocket drowning out the words he didn't want to hear.

Jack and Martha yelled as light from the engines flooded the room blinding them. As the Doctor stared at the blinding radiance, a thought suddenly came to him.

_Think what the Face of Boe said _he heard echoing over and over in his mind.

_Think what the Face of Boe said_

_Think what the Face of Boe said_

And then…

_You…are…not…alone…_

_You…are…not…alone…_

_You…are…not…alone…_

_Y…A…N…A…_

"Oh Rassilon, no." he murmured. "Please don't let it be him. Anybody but him."

He quickly phoned the rocket ship. Confirming that everything was alright and the rocket was airborne, he slammed the receiver down and finally faced the moment he had been dreading.

Jack and Martha gasped as the Doctor took off running wanting nothing more than to reach the professor before it was too late and his worst fears were realized.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(2007)

Rose lay on the floor staring up in the darkness at the ceiling of the windowless supply room the alternate Doctor had shoved her in. She had spent the entire day watching the Master preparing for a press conference he was having in the morning. Lucy also had an interview with a journalist named Vivian Rook and the Master was helping with that as well, coaching his wife on what to say and what not to say. In addition to all this, he was finalizing his plans with the alternate Doctor. They agreed that they should reveal the Toclafane at the press conference and tell the public that first contact with them would be made the next morning. That would be the first step in their plans and once that was set into motion, they would watch the outcome and make further plans concerning it. One thing Rose knew for sure, nothing good would come of it.

She stood up and felt through the darkness for the light switch. Finding it, she turned the light on and blinked her eyes when it blinded her momentarily. When she could see again, she tried the door and sighed when she found it was locked.

"Gee, Doctor, I though you trusted me." She muttered angrily.

For a moment, she thought about giving herself to him so she would have a better chance at escape, but she quickly pushed that thought from her mind. No matter what happened, she would never betray her Doctor like that. If this Doctor took her, it would be while she was under the influence of the chip. She would never love him. Not even if her Doctor never returned from the future to rescue her. No, she would find another way to get that box of his and get out of here.

She looked around the supply closet. There were several boxes stacked against the far wall, but when she looked in them she saw only printer paper. Frustrated, she slammed one of the lids back on the box.

"Come on, there's got to be something in here that can help me escape." She muttered to herself.

She saw some smaller boxes beside the boxes and went to look in them.

"Pencils," she muttered opening the lids. "Pens, memo pads, toner cartridges…come on…something I can use…"

She opened another lid.

"Paper clips…" she said tossing it aside.

Then, she had a thought. She reached into the box she had just discarded and took one of the paper clips out. A smile spread over her face when she looked at it and began to straighten it out. After a few minutes, it was as straight as she could get it. Running to the door, she knelt down and stuck it in the lock, fiddling with it as she tried to unlock the door.

"Come on, come on, work!" she muttered.

She took the paper clip out, adjusted it and then stuck it back in the lock. She maneuvered it around and just when she was about to give up hope, she heard a click. Her heart beating in her chest, she turned the knob and gasped with delight when the door opened for her. Tentatively, she stuck her head out and noticed there was no one around. Slowly, she inched out and shut the door behind her. She crept down the darkened hallway looking all around her for any sign of life. Playing on a hunch, she made her way back to the Master's office. Reaching it, she slowly put her hand on the doorknob and turned the handle. The door opened and Rose stuck her head inside. She rejoiced silently when she saw the alternate Doctor stretched out on the couch, asleep. Hanging off a nearby chair was his trench coat.

Stifling the urge to shout for joy, she quietly entered the room and closed the door behind her. Crouching down, she made her way towards the trench coat, her eyes darting back and forth between it and the alternate Doctor on the couch. After what seemed like an eternity, she reached the coat. She paused and looked over at him. Satisfied he was still asleep, she reached into the trench coat pocket and grabbed the silver box. Bringing it out, she stared at it in disbelief hardly daring to believe her luck in getting it. Now, all she had to do was sneak out of the building and hide somewhere while she figured out a way to get back to the TARDIS or at least figure out a way to bring her Doctor and her friends back to her.

She turned and crept towards the door. She reached it and put her hand on the doorknob.

"I thought I warned you not to touch that box."

She jerked her body around and saw the alternate Doctor was standing over her. He folded his arms over his chest as his black eyes bored into her.

"I believe I have been extremely merciful to you thus far." He said to her. "I have allowed you your mind and this is what comes of my generosity?"

"Please." Rose said terrified. "Please don't."

"Don't what?"

"Please let me have my mind." Rose said.

"Why? You afraid I might make you do something perverted?" he asked. "I don't care about you, despite what Saxon thinks. You are nothing to me."

She gasped when the alternate Doctor seized her by the wrist and squeezed it to the breaking point.

"I don't need the box to make your life a living hell, Rose." He said in a low voice.

Rose's heart raced when she saw the insane look in his eyes.

"I will honor your request and let you have your mind, but I will not let this offense go unpunished." He hissed. "I warned you not to cross me, but apparently you thought I was playing around. Well, you're gonna think differently when I get through with you."

A maniacal grin spread over his face.

"And there is nothing your beloved can do to stop me." He said gleefully.

He paused a moment and listened to Rose's rapid breathing.

"Scared, Rose? You should be. You should be very scared. Because in a few moments, you will be screaming and begging for mercy and guess what, there'll be none."

He slammed his hand over her mouth when she opened it.

"And if you want all the innocent staff members in here to live, you will keep your mouth shut and face your punishment bravely like your Doctor would want you to."

She gasped when he seized her by the throat.

"Screw with me, Rose and you get to deal with the consequences!" he snarled. "Now, get on your feet and by Rassilon, if you so much as make a peep, I will make sure your torment will be never-ending!"

He grabbed Rose by the arm and jerked her to her feet.

"Come on, back to my TARDIS. I have something there that I think will do nicely." He said to her.

"Doctor." Rose whispered as he dragged her from the room.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

The alternate Doctor sat calmly at the monitor watching the images and ignoring Rose's agonized screaming as the mind raper machine went through her memories. So far, it had been pretty boring. A dull childhood and adolescence…graduating high school…working some boring job in a department store...

He paused the images when he noticed someone grabbing Rose's hand in the department store and telling her to run. The man looked different, but he knew he was the Doctor. It was him in some previous incarnation.

"Ugh, I'm glad I never looked like that." He muttered to himself. "He's butt ugly there."

He sighed and glanced back.

"For Heaven's sakes, keep the screaming down!" he yelled at Rose. "I'm trying to watch this!"

Rose didn't hear him. She continued to scream as the alternate Doctor sighed and turned back to the monitor.

"Weak minded ape." He muttered as he moved on though her adventures with the Doctor.

He sighed when he listened to some of her thoughts as the images played. As the images progressed, her loving thoughts about the Doctor increased. It was starting to become sickening to him.

Then, they were on a place called the Gamestation. The alternate Doctor watched as the Doctor tricked Rose into leaving and returning to her time. He rolled his eyes as he listened to her anguished thoughts as she tried to get back to him. Then, something made him sit up and pay attention. Rose was standing in the TARDIS and the vortex was streaming from the console into her eyes. He watched fascinated as the god-like incarnation of Rose guided the TARDIS back to the Doctor.

"I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself."

"Whoa." The alternate Doctor murmured.

He watched intently as the Bad Wolf vaporized the Daleks. He looked back at the screaming Rose and looked back at the monitor.

"How did she survive taking the vortex into her? It's not possible." He muttered to himself. "No human is capable of this."

He made a face when he saw the Doctor kiss her and draw the vortex out.

"Ugh, good thing I haven't eaten in awhile." He muttered to himself.

His eyes widened when he watched the previous incarnation of the Doctor die and his double being born in his place.

"You actually wasted a life for her?" he said in disbelief. "You are so idiotic, it's unbelievable."

He put his elbow up on the table and put his head in his hand as he watched Rose's reaction to the new Doctor.

_My Doctor,_ he heard her think. _Where are you? What's happened to my Doctor?_

"Oh, so you didn't inform the person you were traveling with that you could regenerate? Smooth move, doofus."

He fast forwarded through the memories watching as the Doctor and Rose traveled to New Earth, battled a werewolf, went to a planet suspended under a black hole, helped some alien leave an ape child and head back home, fight off two armies of robots who were invading Earth.

He paused when he saw Rose being sucked into some gaping hole in the wall. He slowed it down and watched his double's anguish at seeing Rose being torn away from him.

_No!_ Rose was thinking. _This can't be happening! I can't lose him! We can't be separated forever! He'll be all alone!_

"Boo hoo hoo." The alternate Doctor said rolling his eyes.

Then, there was a flash of light and someone appeared in front of the hole and caught Rose in his arms.

"Damn." The alternate Doctor muttered. "I was looking forward to her going into the huge gaping hole of doom."

She looked back at the Doctor still hanging on to the big black thingy on the wall.

_Goodbye, My Doctor._ She thought

Then, there was an enormous flash of light and she was in a darkened version of the same room.

"TAKE ME BACK, TAKE ME BACK!" she cried beating on the wall.

"Boooring." The alternate Doctor said speeding up the memories.

He watched as she adjusted to life in the alternate universe, her job at Torchwood, crying into her pillow every night before finally falling into an exhausted sleep. Then…finally, it reached the moment she met him. Bored, he switched off the machine and Rose's torment screams ceased.

He walked over to her and looked down as she sobbed quietly.

"Painful? I expect so. Not many people can bear the mind raper machine." He said nonchalantly. "But, I hope it's taught you a valuable lesson about defying me."

"The...Doctor…will…kill…you…for…this." Rose managed to gasp out.

"Yeah, well, forgive me if I don't start making out my will right away." He said.

He checked the restraints on her wrists and ankles. Satisfied that they were tight, he leaned back up.

"Well, I'll let you get some sleep. It must be exhausting having your memories rifled through. Actually, I'll have to ask you about the whole Bad Wolf episode sometime, but not now. I'm tired from being woken up in the middle of the night and watching your boring memories. So, I'll see you in the morning. Nighty-night Rose."

Chuckling, he walked out the door and shut it as Rose sobbed and murmured her Doctor's name.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(The next morning…)

"Doctor?"

The Master opened the door and stuck his head in his office.

"Doctor, the press conference is in two hours, we have to get going. We gotta be at the palace now. I…"

He frowned when he noticed he wasn't in the room. He glanced over at the chair and saw his trench coat was still there.

"Now, where the hell did he go?" he muttered.

He stuck his head back out and closed the door. He walked to the supply closet and started to unlock it when he noticed the door was ajar. He opened the door and noticed the light was on, but no one was in the room. He looked over and noticed a bunch of boxes had been opened.

"Where the hell is everyone?" he muttered.

Sighing, he closed the door. He had no time to go looking for the alternate Doctor and Rose. He had to meet with the queen and go to the press conference afterward. Walking back to his office, he threw his coat on and headed towards the front door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The silence of the early morning was broken by a weird humming sound and the sudden appearance of three people in an alleyway. The woman slumped against the wall holding her head and one man bent over while the other one looked around him trying to get his bearings.

"Oh, my head." The woman said.

"Time travel without a capsule, that's a killer!" the man said straightening up.

They cracked their necks as the three of them headed out of the alleyway.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Still at least we've made it. Earth, twenty-first century by the looks of it. Talk about lucky."

"That wasn't luck that was me." The Doctor replied.

They walked over to three marble blocks and sat down to rest.

"The moral is, if you're gonna get stuck at the end of the universe, get stuck with an ex-time agent and his vortex manipulator." He said tapping the device on his wrist.

"But, this Master bloke, he could be anywhere in time and space." Martha protested.

"No, he's here, trust me." The Doctor said looking around.

He looked around while Jack explained to Martha about the Master being a Time Lord. Despite his worries, he was glad that Martha would be prepared should something happen to him. He had tried to tell her back on the spaceship as he was being put into the status chamber, but she had cut him off. Now, with the possibility of battling the Master on the horizon, regeneration seemed a very likely thing and he didn't want a repeat of what had happened with Rose.

Rose.

He shook his head. Another thing standing in the way of his search for her. At this rate, he would never be able to find her. His hearts ached at the thought of his double hurting her and he quickly pushed the image from his mind. As he watched the crowd around him, his eyes were drawn to a homeless man beating against a cup with a coin as he panhandled. His eyes were drawn to the coin. The man was beating out a steady rhythm with it and the Doctor found himself being entranced by it.

Then, how are we gonna find him?" Martha asked the Doctor, bringing him out of the trance.

"I'll know him." He said. "Moment I see him. Time Lord's always do."

"But, hold on, if he could be anyone. We missed the election."

Then, the Doctor noticed a big screen TV nearby.

"But, it can't be." Martha said as he stood up.

The Doctor walked towards it. His heart leapt to his throat when he recognized the Master coming down a flight of stairs.

"I said I knew that voice." Martha said. When he spoke inside the TARDIS, I've heard that voice hundreds of times. I've seen him. We all have. That was the voice of Harold Saxon."

"That's him." The Doctor said, dread rising within him. "He's Prime Minster. The Master is Prime Minister of Great Britain."

He watched as the Master kissed the woman beside him.

"The Master and his wife." He said in disbelief.

"This country has been sick. This country needs healing. This country needs medicine. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that what this country really needs…right now…is a Doctor."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

The Master paused when he entered his office and saw the alternate Doctor sitting on his couch.

"Where the hell have you been?" he asked. "I've been looking for you all morning!"

"I had a little matter to attend to last night." The alternate Doctor said calmly.

The Master looked around the room.

"Where's Rose?" he asked.

The alternate Doctor smirked.

"That was the little matter." He said.

"Why? What do you mean?"

"Well, Rose decided to be a bad girl and try to nick my little silver box last night." He said holding it up to him. "So, I had to punish her for her disobedience. I'm sure she'll think twice now before she tries to steal from me again."

"Where is she?"

"She's in my TARDIS resting up after I used the mind raper machine on her."

The Master stared at him.

"You went through her memories?"

"Yeah, most of it was incredibly boring and mushy, except…"

He leaned forward.

"Rose took the vortex into her body and lived to tell about it."

"I know."

The alternate Doctor stared at him.

"You…know…" he said.

"Yeah," the Master said shrugging.

"How did you know that?"

"I heard the other Doctor and Jack talking about it back on Malcassairo."

"Where?"

The Master sighed.

"The year 100 trillion."

"Oh, well you just mentioned the year, you never mentioned what planet you were on." He said.

"Yes, well, Jack had to help get the engine started on the rocket and since the room was irradiated, he was the only one who could do it without vaporizing and while he was in there, he and the Doctor discussed---"

"Wait, sorry, but…why was this Jack the only one who could enter the room?" the alternate Doctor asked.

"Oh, well, he's immortal so the radiation didn't affect him."

The alternate Doctor's eyes boggled.

"He is?" he said.

"Yeah, fascinating really, seems that Rose was the one who brought him back to life with the power of the vortex, but according to the Doctor she couldn't control it and brought him back forever. And now, he's stuck being immortal because the Doctor took the power away from her."

"Yeah, and that's what I can't figure out. Taking the vortex into his body killed the Doctor, but it didn't affect her. Why?"

The Master walked over and leaned down into his face.

"I told you, the Doctor doesn't pick his companions at random. In order to travel with them, they have to be a cut above the average. How do you think they are able to survive everything that gets thrown at them? Rose isn't a typical human child. I could sense that right off the bat. You keep thinking she's a stupid ape, but she is far from that. You punished her, but for what? Using her intelligence? Of course, she's gonna try to escape. That's why you should have kept her locked up in the TARDIS in the first place or at the very least had a guard outside the supply room. You can torment her and break her will all you want, but it's never gonna kill her spirit completely because she isn't that kind of human. The Doctor isn't a fool; he knows what he's doing when he asks these people to accompany him. Rose is as much a threat to us as the Doctor is, if not more so. So, if I were you, I'd either keep her mind enslaved or keep her on a very short leash because you're gonna regret it if you don't."

He leaned back up and walked back to his desk. The alternate Doctor made a face.

"Ugh, where have you been? You smell like gas." He said wrinkling his nose.

"Probably because I've just come from a room filled with gas." The Master said sitting down.

"Huh?"

He smiled at the alternate Doctor.

"I just took care of my cabinet. You punished Rose for disobedience and I punished them for being a bunch of stinking traitors that left their parties to join me. I just gassed them all dead."

The alternate Doctor frowned.

"Well, wait, didn't you hypnotize everyone so they would vote for you and purposely join your party?"

"Well, yeah, but they're still a bunch of stinking weak-minded traitors who should have resisted in the first place." He said smiling at him.

The alternate Doctor grinned.

"I like your style." He said.

"Besides, we don't need them mucking things up and slowing things down with all their bureaucratic red tape. We can handle everything without them." The Master said.

"I agree."

He pulled out his laptop and beckoned to the alternate Doctor to come to his side.

"I have done a little digging on our Doctor's friends. Now, Rose's family is no longer around so we don't have to worry about them. Martha's family is being watched closely and I actually had my people convince her mother that the Doctor is dangerous, so she's been helping us try to trace the Doctor whenever her daughter calls her. Her sister Tish is working for me now. I just talked to her before I went into the conference room and she's just thrilled that I gave her a nice, cushy little job with the newly elected Prime Minister."

He and the alternate Doctor chuckled.

"Now, as for Jack, well, I found out he works for a branch of Torchwood that's based in Cardiff. I just hacked into Jack's email account and sent his team a dummy email telling them that he was stuck somewhere in the Himalayas and he needed their help. As we speak, I'm sure the idiots are rushing off to help him."

He and the alternate Doctor snickered.

"Genius." The alternate Doctor said.

"Thanks." The Master replied. "Also, I've set up a couple of hidden cameras in Martha's flat, just in case they should ever return there. Here I'll show you. I'll access the one in her room and…"

He brought up the feed from the webcam and they looked in on Martha's bedroom.

"Nice." The alternate Doctor said.

Suddenly, Martha's door opened. The alternate Doctor and the Master's mouths dropped open.

"Home." Martha said as she and the Doctor and Jack walked into the room.

"WHAT?" the alternate Doctor screamed.

Both of them watched in disbelief.

"How is it possible? How did they get back?" the alternate Doctor said.

He looked over at the Master who was staring at the monitor in shock.

"HOW?" the alternate Doctor said grabbing his shirt collar and forcing him to look at him.

"I…I…don't know." The Master stammered.

"His TARDIS. Is it still on the Valiant? Did he find a way to bring it back to him?" the alternate Doctor said.

The Master quickly typed in some commands and another webcam came up showing the TARDIS still sitting in the same place with the three Toclafane guarding it.

"It's not possible." The alternate Doctor said.

"I told you not to underestimate the Doctor." The Master said switching back to Martha's room.

"What do we do? We can't let him find out that Rose is here. He'll stop at nothing to get her back. He'll ruin everything! All our carefully laid plans will be for nothing if he finds out. We have to kill him and kill him now!"

"Just…calm down, okay. I was gonna tell you before this happened that I have a special surprise set up in the room just in case something like this happens. I have everything under control; just keep your knickers on. I've fought the Doctor long enough to know that I need to take precautions for every possible scenario. Now just sit here, relax, and watch the fun."

The alternate Doctor looked at the Master as he rose from his seat.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Well, first I'm going to get my wife away from that nosy journalist and then I'm gonna make a very special announcement to my adoring public in general and three special people in particular."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

The alternate Doctor fidgeted in his seat as he listened to the Doctor, Martha and Jack talking to each other.

"You can't be back. You can't be here." He muttered. "You can't have Rose. I won't let you have her. She belongs to me now and forever. I won't let you win. I will destroy you this time, I swear I will."

Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore. He had to know if Rose was still restrained in his TARDIS. Leaping up from the seat, he snatched up his trench coat and ran out the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The alternate Doctor gasped as he flung open the door of his TARDIS and went inside. He slammed the door and ran back to his laboratory. Panting, he flung open the door and leaned against the doorway in relief when he saw she was still strapped to the table. She stared at him wearily as he walked over to her.

"Now what?" she asked. "Did I do something wrong laying here?"

The alternate Doctor smirked. After all that she'd been through, she was still trying to be defiant. He brushed a strand of hair away from her face and smirked again when she jerked her head away.

"Your beloved is gone forever, you know that, don't you?" he asked her.

Rose remained silent and looked away.

"He will never find you. No one will. The Doctor isn't coming and neither are your friends."

"Think again." Rose muttered under her breath.

The alternate Doctor paused when he heard that. Was that statement just more of her defiance or had she seen...

There were no TV's in the room, no radios, there was nothing she could watch or listen to that would give her a clue of the outside world. But…the woman had taken the vortex into her body. Could the vortex have given her a mental link to the TARDIS and possibly the Doctor himself?

"What do you mean by that?" he demanded. "What do you mean 'think again"? Tell me!"

Rose turned her head and now it was her turn to smirk.

"You fear him." She said.

"Don't be stupid!" the alternate Doctor shot back.

Rose smiled.

"You do. You fear my Doctor's rage. You know once he finds out you've harmed me there will be no stopping him."

The alternate Doctor was silent.

"He's here isn't he? He found a way back."

"No!" the alternate Doctor spat out.

"Then why do I see fear in your eyes?"

The alternate Doctor backed up from the table as Rose smiled to herself.

"My Doctor," she whispered to herself. "At last you have found me."

"NO!"

She gasped when the alternate Doctor seized her face.

"He may have returned from the future somehow, but he doesn't know you're here and he will never know! I will hide you from him until he leaves!"

Rose laughed softly.

"But he will never leave not until I'm safe in his arms again."

"He will never find you, do you hear me? Never!"

Rose smirked at him.

"He will come. Bet on it."

The alternate Doctor stepped back. His mind reeled from that statement. After all he had done to try to stop his double; he just kept on coming relentlessly. It was true that when he had started all this that he had hoped he would find him, but that was before he had gotten involved with Saxon. Now, he had a golden opportunity to gain dominion over the universe and having the Doctor mess it up was the last thing he wanted. He considered briefly letting Rose go, giving her back to the Doctor so he would go away, but he knew that wouldn't work. The Doctor had no clue that he was even here. He had come for Saxon so he could put a stop to him and his plans. Throwing Rose at the Doctor wasn't going to change things now. No, he had made his bed and now he had to lay in it. But, that didn't mean he had to surrender his trump card. The Doctor would think twice about killing him and Saxon if his Rosebud might be in jeopardy. No, Rose was far too valuable to him now to even think of giving her up.

"I think you are underestimating me and Saxon, my dear." He said to her.

"No, I think you're underestimating the Doctor like usual." She said. "My Doctor has beaten you before and he will again."

"He'll think twice about attacking us if your life is in danger." He said.

Rose smiled.

"No, that'll just piss him off more and make him more determined to stop you." she said. "And if I were you, I wouldn't think of killing me. You really don't want to deal with him if that happens."

The alternate Doctor stared down at the captive human in front of him. She was right. The Doctor was angry enough without him harming or killing her. He swallowed hard imagining how enraged his double would be if his lover did die. He didn't fancy finding out if his mental picture was correct. He looked down at Rose who was studying his face intently. Saxon was right, the child was unique. He had no doubt that she was smart enough to come up with a plan to reach the Doctor, especially since she now knew he was here. But, then again, she had the chip in her head and he still possessed the remote for it. She could run as far as she liked, but once the chip was turned on, she would turn right back around and come back to him in a heartbeat. He still held her in his thrall, even if she refused to believe that. The Doctor hadn't beaten him yet.

He smiled at her.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I have other plans that need my attention." He said. "I was just checking up on you."

Rose smirked.

"Why? Afraid I might have left or the Doctor might have found me?" she said.

"Yes," the alternate Doctor answered truthfully. "But, you are still here and despite what you may think, you will stay here until I come back for you."

He leaned over.

"And you know, when I do capture my double, I think I might put him in the mind raper machine. I've seen your memories, I'm kinda curious to see his now."

He grinned when he saw fear flash momentarily in her eyes.

"What's wrong? Don't you think your Doctor is clever enough to escape that fate?" he said. "You looked unsure there for a moment."

He grinned widened.

"Yes, I think I will do that when he falls into our trap." He said to her. "I will bring your beloved back here, strap him in, kick the dial up to the highest setting and let him scream for you. How does that sound?"

He chuckled when he saw the fear in her eyes again.

"Your lover is not invulnerable. You, yourself, have seen that when he regenerated in front of you. He can be harmed and he can be killed. So, if I were you, I wouldn't plan your tender reunion just yet."

He scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"In fact, I think I'll ask Saxon if I can park my TARDIS on board the Valiant. That way, I can get some extra protection from those Toclafane thingies."

He leaned over.

"I'm sure you remember what they did to that ape guard, right? How would you like the same thing to happen to your Doctor or your friends? Personally, I think it would be fantastic seeing them chopped up and mutilated, but then, I hate them."

He leaned back up.

"Anyway, better safe than sorry. So, if you'll excuse me, I have to find Saxon and see if he put the Doctor out of commission while I was gone. He did say something about having a surprise for them and I was gonna watch, but you know, London is a dangerous place and I hate to think of my Rose out on the streets by herself. Anyway, I'll find out what happened with your beloved and if he's dead, I'll be sure to rush right back here and tell ya! In the meantime, you just rest up and maybe, just maybe, if you wish hard enough, the Doctor will magically appear before your very eyes and spirit you away to his shining castle where you can live happily ever after. Cause, you know, that happens all the time, right?"

He chuckled, blew her a kiss and walked out the door.

"Oh Doctor," Rose murmured to herself. "Please hurry up and find him so you can shove your fist down his throat."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

The Master couldn't believe Martha Jones's stupidity. They had just gotten away in the nick of time from the bomb he had planted in her room. They knew now that he knew they were there and what was the first thing Martha did? Call her family. How thick can you get? Couldn't she deduce that if he had rigged up her room, that he might be monitoring her family also? Still, he couldn't complain. Francis was still trying to lure her daughter to her. The trusting fools. Sometimes it amazed him how easily he could convince people to go along with his plans. It was definitely a gift of his.

He glanced up when the alternate Doctor entered the room.

"Off checking up on Rose again?" he said.

The alternate Doctor nodded.

"Thought as much." He muttered.

The alternate Doctor paused and looked at him.

What are you doing?"

"Listening in on Martha's conversation with her family." He said.

The alternate Doctor sat down at the table beside him.

"Rose still restrained?" he asked.

"Yes, thank Rassilon."

The Master eyed him.

"Why, afraid your girlfriend ditched you?"

He snickered when the alternate Doctor shot him a look.

"I want to move my TARDIS to the Valiant." He said.

"Why?"

"Because I want it protected."

"Isn't it disguised?"

"Yes, but I'd rather Rose was somewhere where the Doctor couldn't get to her easily."

"Why? Aren't you going to let her walk around?"

"Perhaps, if she behaves herself."

The alternate Doctor jerked his head around when he heard Martha's father screaming for her to run.

The Master sighed.

"I hate it when people decide to think for themselves." He muttered. "It's so annoying. Guess I'll have to take the whole family into custody for this. Such a bother rounding them all up."

The alternate Doctor looked at him.

"I thought you said you had a surprise for the three of them."

The Master raised his eyebrow.

"Oh, so you didn't see it. That figures."

"No, I wanted to check and make sure Rose was alright."

The Master rolled his eyes.

"Yup, had a big surprise planned and when I want to show it to him, he misses it because he's more concerned about his little girlfriend."

"What was the surprise?" the alternate Doctor said ignoring him.

"Oh, I put a little time bomb on the back of Martha's TV."

"And it didn't work, I guess?"

The Master shrugged.

"Didn't really expect it to. Frankly, I would have been shocked if it had killed them." He said.

"Then why put it there if you don't expect it to work?"

"I love keeping the Doctor and his companions on their toes." He said grinning. "Gives them a bit of exercise."

"You do realize you're playing a dangerous game here, don't you?"

The Master gave him a patronizing look.

"Yes, Doctor dear, I'm well aware of how clever my Doctor is. I've think I've had a lot more experience dealing with him than you have, so will you just relax? I have a back-up plan."

"Which is?"

He smiled and leaned back in his chair. He put his fingertips together as he looked at the alternate Doctor.

"I'm not sure how it is in your reality, but right here at this very moment in time, there is a great undercurrent of fear running throughout the world." He said.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that on the eleventh of September, 2001 a group of terrorists crashed three planes into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington D.C. and since that time fear of terrorist attacks have been rampant. Terrorists are constantly being rooted out and arrested before they can do any damage. And wouldn't you know it; three of them have been here in London right under our very noses."

He pulled out his laptop and surfed the internet until he found the right site. Grinning, he turned the laptop so the alternate Doctor could see it. He smiled when he saw still photos of the Doctor, Martha and Jack with a caption under them that said 'Nationwide Hunt for Terrorist Suspects'.

"See, I have a feeling that our three friends are about to get a lot of exercise from all the running they will do." The Master said. "Plus, they will be so busy looking over their shoulders; they'll have no time to hunt for us."

"Brilliant!" the alternate Doctor said.

"On my life, you gotta trust me. Go to Boxer, stay with him. Don't tell anyone. Just hide."

"Oooo, nice little game of hide and seek, I love that. But I'll find you, Martha Jones."

The alternate Doctor's mouth dropped open.

"What the hell are you doing, you maniac?" he hissed at him.

The Master put his finger to his lips.

"Been a long time since we saw each other. Must have been, what, a hundred trillion years?"

"Are you crazy?" the alternate Doctor said.

"I know what I'm doing." The Master hissed at him.

"I'm here."

The alternate Doctor's eyes widened when he heard the voice of his enemy. He looked over at the Master who had a strange look in his eyes. His eyes boggled when he saw him reaching into his jacket for his mobile.

"No!" he hissed at him.

He put his head in his hands when the Master pushed the talk button and said…

"Doctor." the Master said.

There was a pause.

"I like it when you use my name." the Master said.

"Don't tell him anything. Don't tell him I'm here!" the alternate Doctor said in a loud whisper.

The Master ignored him.

"Saxon!"

The Master put his finger over the alternate Doctor's lips and shook his head.

"As you chose yours," the Master said taking his finger off the alternate Doctor's lips. "the man who makes people better. How sanctimonious is that?"

The alternate Doctor watched with dread as the Master slowly walked around the room talking to the Doctor on his mobile.

"You narcissistic fool, you want him to find us, don't you?" he hissed under his breath. "I swear, if you tell him that Rose and I are here, I will snap your neck!"

The Master sat back down in his chair and began to swivel back and forth.

"I know." He said to the Doctor. "It's good, isn't it?"

The alternate Doctor gritted his teeth.

"What, what is he saying? What are you telling him, Saxon?" he hissed at him.

The Master ignored him.

"Do you remember all those fairy tales about the Toclafane when we were kids? Back home?"

_Oh Rassilon, the Doctor is alive and close to finding us and the git is going down memory lane with him._ The alternate Doctor thought.

"I know that Gallifrey is gone now, Doctor. What happened to it?" he said.

_We don't have time for this, Saxon._ The alternate Doctor thought.

He watched as the Master rose from his chair and stood silently for a moment. He cursed him for cutting him out of the conversation. He had just as much right to hear what the Doctor had to say.

"And the Time Lords?"

The alternate Doctor rolled his eyes.

"Get off the phone, Saxon." He hissed at him.

"The Time Lords only resurrected me because they knew I'd be the perfect warrior for a Time War."

The alternate Doctor paused.

_Resurrected? He's already been through all his lives?_

Intrigued, He leaned forward and listened.

"I was there when that Dalek Emperor took control of the Cruciform. I saw it. I ran. I ran so far. Made myself human so they would never find me. Because I was so scared."

The alternate Doctor snorted.

"Yeah, you must have really been crapping your pants with fear if you felt like turning yourself into an ape." He muttered to himself.

"All of them. But, not you. Which must mean…"

The alternate Doctor gritted his teeth when the Master paused and listened to the Doctor.

_Must mean what?_ He thought to himself. _Dammit, I hate this. I want to know what he's saying! If I wasn't so concerned with hiding, I'd wrench that phone from your hand and talk to him myself!_

"What did it feel like though? Two all-mighty civilizations burning."

The alternate Doctor raised his eyebrow when he heard the Master suck in his breath and let it out slowly.

_Omega's orifice, are you getting off on this conversation?_ He thought.

"Tell me how did that feel? You must have been like God." he said in a breathy voice.

the alternate Doctor frowned. This conversation was beginning to have some weird overtones to it. He began to wonder if the Master and the Doctor were more than just enemies. His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he heard the Master say…

"Are you asking me out on a date?"

There was a pause and he heard the Master say…

"Too late."

_Aw, what's wrong, don't wanna go out on a date with the ex-boyfriend?_ The alternate Doctor thought.

He frowned in confusion when the next words out of the Master's mouth were…

"The drumming."

_Huh?Drumming? What the hell is he talking about?_

He watched as the Master tapped out a rhythm on the table with his fingers.

"Can't you hear it?"

_Tap, tap, tap, tap_

"I thought it would stop. But it never does. Never ever stops. Inside my head. The drumming, Doctor, the constant drumming.

_Ooookay…so Saxon is not only Prime Minister of Great Britain, he's apparently Prime Minister of Looneyville too. _The alternate Doctor thought.

"It's everywhere. Listen, listen, listen. Here come the drums. Here come the drums.

_Yeah, Saxon, and here comes someone to take you to the white rubber room._

The alternate Doctor watched as the Master continued to tap out the rhythm with his fingers.

_Blimey, man's completely nuts._ He thought.

"Oh look, you're on TV." The Master said pulling his laptop over to him.

The alternate Doctor chuckled.

"No, really you're on telly. You and your little band. Which by the way is ticking every demographic box. So congratulations on that. Oh, there you are."

He laughed.

"You're public enemies' number one, two and three."

The alternate Doctor snickered.

"Oh, and you can tell handsome Jack that I've sent his little gang off on a wild goose chase to the Himalayas, so he won't be getting any help from them. Now, go on, off you go. Why not start by turning to the right?"

He gestured to the alternate Doctor and he rolled his chair over. He giggled when he looked at the laptop and saw the view from the surveillance camera. The alternate Doctor grinned and waved to his double when he turned to the right and looked up at the camera. He saw him withdraw his sonic screwdriver and aim it at the camera. Then, there was a flash and the picture faded to black.

"Ooo, you public menace!"

The alternate Doctor snickered.

"Better start running. Go on. Run!"

He and the Master shared a grin.

"Run, Doctor! Run for your life!"

The alternate Doctor laughed.

"I said, RUN!"

He pocketed his mobile and grinned at the alternate Doctor.

"That'll keep him busy for awhile." He said.

"I have to hand it to you; you do know how to cover your bases."

"Indeed I do, now if you'll excuse me. I want to have a celebratory drink."

"Hold on, gotta ask you."

The Master sighed.

"What?"

"What was the whole deal with the…"

He tapped out the rhythm on the table.

"…That." He finished.

The Master frowned.

"You don't hear it?"

The alternate Doctor raised his eyebrow.

"Hear what?"

"The drumming."

"Wha?"

"The drumming. There's no drumming in your head?"

"Uh…no…"

"Did you have the initiation ceremony on your Gallifrey?"

"You mean when you're eight? Yeah."

"Did you go through it?"

"Well, yes, everyone had to. Why?"

"You didn't hear the drumming after you looked into the vortex?"

"Uh…noooo…"

"What happened when you looked into it?" the Master asked.

The alternate Doctor gave him a haughty look.

"When I looked into the vortex, I realized who I was and what I was born to do." He said. "I was a Time Lord, a member of the most ancient and revered race in all the universe. The vortex represented the raw power that I would have at my disposal. All of time and space were mine to do with as I wished. When I saw the vortex, I realized that I was born for greatness." He said.

"And there were no drums in your head after that?"

"No, Saxon."

"Then, it's true."

The alternate Doctor frowned.

"What's true?"

"The drums chose me."

The alternate Doctor stared at him.

"The…drums… chose you." He repeated slowly.

"Yes," the Master said leaning over and grabbing the arms of his chair. "Don't you see? The drumming. It's a call to war! It's always been a call to war!"

"You sure it hasn't been a call to prop your feet up and take a long, long rest?"

The Master glared at him.

"I'm just saying, Saxon, if you are hearing drumming in your head, then perhaps you should go consult a physician." He said.

"Oh, I grow tired of you mocking me!" the Master said leaning back up.

"I'm not mocking you, Saxon…"

"My name is not Saxon, alright? That's just my cover name. I prefer to be called the Master, if you please." He spat out.

He paused when the alternate Doctor gave him a weird look for a moment. Then, his eyes narrowed.

"The Master, you say? There was a Master in my reality." The alternate Doctor said calmly.

The Master perked up at that.

"Really? What was he like?" he asked.

The alternate Doctor smirked.

"He was my business partner once. He and I agreed to plunder the universe and split the loot 50-50. Course that was before he screwed me over and tried to have me assassinated on Rigel 7 so he could have it all. Last I saw of him, he was falling into a supernova after I pushed him out the TARDIS door. Nasty way to die. But, I don't tolerate people who try to stab me in the back, both literally and figuratively."

He leaned forward and gave the Master a pointed look.

"Course, you're nothing like that traitorous doggie, are you?"

"Um, no."

"Good, I'm glad." He said getting up. "Hate to see you hurled into a supernova. You seem like such a nice person."

He patted him on the shoulder.

"I'm gonna have a lie down. Enjoy your drink."

The Master swallowed as the alternate Doctor gave him a pointed look, smirked and walked out the door.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

"Knock, knock."

The alternate Doctor stuck his head around the door and grinned at Rose.

"Having a nice rest?" he asked her.

She glared at him as he walked over to her.

"It's raining outside." He said to her. "A nice rainy London evening. Pity you're stuck in here."

Rose turned her head and looked away as he stroked her hair.

"But, don't worry, Rose. You and I are going to take a little trip."

She looked at him.

"No, don't get all hopeful. You're staying right here while we do it. I'm moving the TARDIS onto the Valiant. I figure it's much more beautiful up there and you'll have room to roam. 'Course those Toclafane things will be keeping an eye on you and on your Doctor's TARDIS so there will be no funny business, but I'm sure you've learned your lesson about disobeying me, haven't you?"

She looked away again and stared at the wall.

"And since you're being so good for me, I'll let you watch our triumph tomorrow morning."

Rose looked back at him.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

He smiled at her as he stroked her hair.

"I mean, that…the Master…as he wishes to be called made an announcement on telly earlier today telling the whole world about the Toclafane, and tomorrow he is going to show them to everyone on live TV. The paradox machine is set to go off at 8:02 a.m. in the middle of the speech and then we unleash hell on planet Earth. Should be quite a show. Wouldn't want my little biscuit to miss it."

"Aren't you worried that my Doctor will show up and spoil the show?" Rose asked him.

"A tad. But, as I said, unless he can fly or hitch a ride on a helicopter, both highly unlikely scenarios, he won't be anywhere near us."

"Yes, but you're forgetting something…he came back from the future without the help of the TARDIS which means he has found a way to "fly" as you put it. I'm betting he still has it, so don't be surprised if you see him on board the Valiant at some point."

The alternate Doctor chuckled.

"And if he does show his face on board the Valiant, the Toclafane will take care of him. After tomorrow, there will be no getting away from them, trust me."

He patted her on the shoulder.

"Well, gotta get this TARDIS onto the Valiant. Just wanted to let you know what was going on. I'll be back to get you when we're on board it and maybe you and I can have a nice picnic above the clouds before all the chaos starts. How's that sound?"

"Piss off." Rose muttered.

The alternate Doctor snickered.

"Such a little spitfire. You know, despite all the disrespect you've shown me, I have to admire your spirit. Just don't get your hopes up that the Doctor will be able to free you, even if somehow he does manage to sneak onboard. I, at least, will be keeping my eyes out for him even if the Master won't. So, if I were you, I'd seriously hope he stays far, far away from us."

He waved at her and walked out of the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Master couldn't believe it. Did the Doctor think he was a complete idiot? Perception filters didn't work on Time Lords, why did he think he would be any different? There they were, standing off to the side of the runway staring at him and thinking they were hidden. What morons. He resisted the urge to go over and slap some sense into his adversary. He guessed he was getting senile in his old age, why else would he go and commit a serious blunder like this? It was a wonder that the man had been able to survive so long.

He grinned when he looked at President Winters and his men. They, on the other hand, had no clue that there were three people standing behind him. Stupid, clueless humans, how they managed to survive so long…

He glanced over at Lucy and smiled at her.

"Have you met the wife?"

Lucy stepped forward and beamed at the president. She looked absolutely stunning. Much better than Winter's frog-faced wife. He had seen her on the telly with him and wondered briefly if he really had to shag the thing.

He stood there calmly while the twit tried to override his authority. Americans were so haughty and arrogant. He did admire that trait, but there was a time and a place to be an overbearing prick and this wasn't it. Still, he could have some fun with the simpleton and relieve his boredom.

"Is that understood?"

He nodded and mimed zipping his lips.

"Are you taking this seriously?

He nodded.

"To business." Winters said.

The Master bit back the urge to laugh in his face and concentrated on playing the part of Prime Minister. All the while, there stood his foe behind him with dumb and dumber at his side, watching and listening to every word they said. He wanted so much to turn around, wave his arms and scream out that he could see them. But, then it would be rude to do that and interrupt President Dictator in the middle of his speech, so he stood perfectly still and gave the old fart his full attention.

To his delight, Winters requested that they use the Valiant as a neutral ground for unveiling the Toclafane, just as he'd hoped he would. This was going exactly to plan. Well, almost to plan. He hadn't counted on pretty boy showing up and listening in, but hey, since he was here, might as well kill two birds with one stone. So, he allowed his foe to hear that they were going to have the unveiling on board the airship. The other Doctor would be pissed at that, but who cares? Unlike his craven associate, he wasn't afraid of his adversary. If he came and he was sure he would, he would be ready for him. He didn't tell his partner in crime about the little body part that had been left behind in the TARDIS nor did he tell him about his new toy. His "friend" didn't need to know every little detail and he didn't have the time to tell him. He was a busy little beaver and he couldn't stop and wait for the other Doctor to catch up while he was off making plans to rule the world.

He watched as Winters turned and walked away.

"The last president of America." He whispered to Lucy.

_And now, to entice the Doctor into my trap._ He thought to himself.

"We have a private plane ready and waiting." He said to Lucy. "We should reach the Valiant within the hour."

_Come and get me, Doctor._ He thought. _The endgame has begun._

"My darling." He said to Lucy.

He turned to look at the president pulling away. His last night on Earth. He hoped he would enjoy it. He smiled to himself when he had a sudden flash of inspiration. Turning towards the Doctor, he paused a moment and looked around as if he sensed something out of the ordinary. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the Doctor was reacting to his playacting, staring at him almost as if he was willing him to look his way. He resisted the urge to do so and simply walked away. There would be time for eye contact later, right now he had to get to the Valiant and finalize everything before daylight.

He put his hand on the car door and looked at a police van that was pulling up beside him. Oh yes, he almost forgot he had told one of his men to summon the van when he first noticed the Doctor and his friends. Martha must be so worried about her mum and dad; it would be so nice to let her know they were alright.

"Hi, guys!" he yelled at them as they were pulled out the back.

As he mocked them, he quickly glanced over and snickered when he saw the Doctor with his hand on Martha's arm, cautioning her not to move. Oh, how it must kill the poor child not to run to mummy and daddy when she was so close to them.

He watched as they were loaded into another car. They would join her sister Tish on board the Valiant. Another surprise for the Doctor and his friends in the morning. After that, he would decide what to do with all of them. After all, they would all be miles above the Earth with no way to leave. Completely at his mercy. He loved when that happened. And, maybe just maybe, he would let the Doctor see the thing he's been searching for. The other Doctor wouldn't like that, but oh well, this was his show and he was the one in charge, not him. He was just a pathetic lovesick weakling who was only hanging on his coattails because it was easier to reap the rewards of his hard work rather than think up everything on his own. Once he was past his usefulness, he would dispose of him as well.

He grinned. It was a pity he would turn on him like his alternate self did, but then again, his double did have the right idea. The alternate Doctor was dangerous and he couldn't allow him to exist in his new world order. There was only one king of the hill here and he wasn't it.

He walked to his car eager to set his plan into motion. Tomorrow the world would change and when the dust settled, he would be the one in charge.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

"And how'd I know you were gonna be up here ahead of me?" the Master said when he came into the conference room and saw the alternate Doctor sitting at the table. "I'm just psychic I guess."

"Is it done?" the alternate Doctor said.

"The trap is set in motion." The Master said staring out the window at the moonlit sky. "Tomorrow morning at 8:02 a.m. on the dot, the Toclafane arrive."

"Excellent." The alternate Doctor said.

The Master turned.

"The Doctor and his friends heard my conversation with President Winters. They know we're going to be here."

The alternate Doctor leapt up.

"Are you crazy?" he said.

The Master shrugged.

"Maybe, maybe not, it's all a matter of "perception". He said emphasizing the last word.

"Well, I think you are. How dare you talk about me in front of the Doctor?"

"I never said I talked about you. Why would I even mention you to the president? No, your secret is still safe. They have no idea you or Rose are here."

"Then, I'll keep her in the TARDIS and hide out there until they're gone."

The Master sighed.

"No, you will sit here and you will watch the proceedings and Rose will be right beside you the entire time."

"Are you nuts? What if he sees us?"

"What if he does?" the Master shot back angrily. "The Doctor won't do anything. He and his buddies are wearing perception filters that makes them think they are hidden from us so if they do come here, they won't do anything to give themselves away. I never pass up an opportunity to torment my foe and I want to see how he reacts when he sees Rose and can't move to get to her. If he's as close to her as you say, then it should be interesting to see if he'll risk "revealing" himself for her. After all, if he's wearing it, she won't be able to see him or her friends. She'll just sit there totally unaware that her beloved is nearby. You could cut the tension with a knife, I expect."

He wagged his finger at the alternate Doctor's face.

"And no fair using the chip. I want Rose to be aware of her surroundings. If he's using the perception filter, you won't need it. Leave her mind alone."

"And what will happen when he does reveal himself? Have you thought that far?"

The Master smiled.

"Yes, I have. So, for the hundredth time, relax. If I didn't want the Doctor to listen in, I would have requested that the meeting be moved indoors. Quit running and turn and face him. The more you run, the more he'll pursue you. Just turn and face him and end all this now. I promise you, you'll be pleasantly surprised with the outcome tomorrow. When I get through with the Doctor, he'll be just a shell of his former self."

He slapped his hands.

"Now, where's Rose? Is she in your TARDIS?"

"Yes, I tried feeding her earlier and she spit the chewed up sandwich back in my face, so I took her to a holding cell. Little bitch."

He pointed at the Master when he saw his amused look.

"And don't you start in on the I'm in love with her comments." He said.

The Master shrugged and mimed zipping his lip. Chuckling, he walked out of the room towards his bedroom to catch a couple hours of sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Martha was astounded when she looked out the window and saw they were up in the air. She never would have guessed the Valiant was up here above the clouds. It was amazing the kinds of things she had seen in her travels with the Doctor.

She looked around when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Follow us, Martha." The Doctor said.

She nodded and followed the Doctor and Jack as they ran through the ship.

Suddenly, the Doctor paused and listened intently.

"We've no time for sightseeing." Jack said.

The Doctor shushed him.

"Can you hear it?"

"Hear what?"

Martha was becoming impatient.

"Doctor, my family's on board." She said heading off without him.

"Brilliant." The Doctor said.

He paused a moment more.

"This way!" he said.

Martha and Jack glanced at each other and followed him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose looked up when the alternate Doctor opened the holding cell door and grinned at her.

"Showtime, my Rose." He said.

"Are you turning the chip on then?" she asked angrily.

"Nope."

Rose stared at him.

"No?" she said not sure if she heard him right.

"No. I'm trusting you to keep your mouth shut. After all, I can always turn on the chip or better yet drag your ass back to the lab and hook it up to the mind raper machine again. And you don't want that, do you?"

Rose looked down at the floor.

"I want to stay in here." She said.

She gasped when the Doctor grabbed her arm and jerked her up off the floor.

"Sorry, not an option. Now come on and if you're lucky, maybe you'll see the alien of your dreams somewhere around here."

Rose gasped when he jerked her out of the holding cell.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Master looked over when the door opened and the alternate Doctor and Rose stepped into the room.

"Rose!" the Master said walking over to her. "How nice to see you again. You're looking well."

Rose stiffened when the Master gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"This way, you can sit by me." The Master said.

He looked over at Winters and saw he was glaring at them.

"They're with me, no worries." He said. "They're my…aides."

He glared at him when he turned away.

"Stuffed shirt. It'll be a pleasure killing you." He muttered under his breath.

He smiled at Lucy and quickly grabbed two more of the seats from the table. The alternate Doctor grabbed Rose's shoulders.

"Sit!" he said shoving her into the seat.

"Ooo, you two like it rough, don't you?" the Master purred in his ear.

He snickered when the alternate Doctor gave him a murderous glance and sat down in his seat.

The Master sat down in front of them and pulled out a white bag.

"Jelly baby?" he said offering the bag to the alternate Doctor.

"No thanks." The alternate Doctor said tersely.

"Rose?" he said swiveling around and offering the bag to her.

Rose shook her head and looked away.

"My dear?" he said offering the bag to Lucy.

He smiled when Lucy reached in and got one. At least someone appreciated his gesture.

He settled back in his seat and watched as president Winters stood on the stairs and faced the camera.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor, Martha and Jack walked slowly towards the conference room. As they neared the door, they heard Winters.

"My fellow Americans, patriots, people of the world, I stand before you today as ambassador for humanity. A role I will undertake with the utmost solemnity. Perhaps our Toclafane cousins can offer us much. But, what is important is not that we gain material benefits, but that we learn to see ourselves anew.

The Doctor walked past some people standing outside, stepped into the room and froze. He was looking right at the Master and his wife, but that wasn't what made him stop. It was the two people sitting behind them. His hearts stopped and all he could do was stand and stare in disbelief at his Rose. He felt movement behind him and he turned to see Jack and Martha staring at Rose with him. He quickly put his finger to his lips when Jack started to speak and pointed off to the wall. The three of them kept to the wall keeping their eyes on the four people in front of them. All of them had their attention focused on Winters as he continued to speak.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The alternate Doctor kept his eyes to the front. He could feel his double beside him watching him intently. He wanted so much to jump up and wring his neck, but he had to keep calm. The Master had something in mind for his double and for the moment, he had to trust that. He glanced over at Rose and smiled to himself when she saw she hadn't noticed his presence. Good. He turned his attention back to Winters.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor swallowed hard. He hadn't planned on his double or Rose being here. Just seeing her made his hearts ache. She looked alright. At least there were no outward signs of abuse. But that didn't mean he hadn't done something to her.

"Doctor, what do we do?" Jack whispered. "How do we get to Rose?"

"I want to get my key around the Master's neck first. If I can do that, everyone can see him for what he really is. Then, once they turn on him, we can grab Rose in the confusion. Hopefully, they'll be enough people here to keep the Master and my double busy long enough to get her to safety."

"And if there aren't enough people?" Jack whispered.

"Then, we fight our way out. But, I'm not leaving this room without her." The Doctor murmured.

They moved up a bit trying to get a look at her face. The Doctor stared at her as he fought the impulse to tear off his key, run to her and take her in his arms. She watched her sigh softly and look around the room. Her eyes passed over the spot where the Doctor was standing. Suddenly, she looked back and stared directly at him. The Doctor's hearts leapt when he saw Rose blinking, repeatedly trying to focus.

"Yes, it's me, Rose. I'm here." The Doctor whispered.

He watched as she stared at the spot in confusion and his smile widened when he saw her mouth "Doctor?" to herself. His eyes narrowed when the alternate Doctor grabbed her arm and jerked it causing her to look back at him.

"Pay attention." He snarled at her.

The Doctor put his arm out when Jack and Martha started towards him.

"No, not yet." He whispered to them.

"And I ask you now, I ask of the human race, to join with me in welcoming our friends. I give you, the Toclafane."

There were four flashes of light and the Toclafane appeared above Winters's head.

"My name is Arthur Coleman Winters, president elect of the United States of America and designated representative of the United Nations. I welcome you to the planet Earth and its associated moon.

"You're not the Master."

"We like the mister Master."

"We don't like you."

The Doctor, Jack and Martha crept up close to the Master and Rose. As they neared, Rose turned her head again and the Doctor saw she was trying hard to focus on him. He smiled at her. Perhaps if he brushed his finger against her cheek, let her know for sure he was there. Let her know she was safe now.

"I can be master." Winters said nervously as the Toclafane circled around him threateningly. "If you so wish. I will accept mastery over you if that is God's will."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The alternate Doctor fought the urge to rise out of his seat and grab the Doctor. He could see him out of the corner of his eye creeping up on his prize. And she was looking right at him. He knew she couldn't really see him, but she sure was trying her hardest. He noticed the Doctor staring back at her with a sappy look in his eyes willing her to see him. Idiot.

"Oh, alright then, it's me!"

He rolled his eyes when the Master rose up out of his seat and began to grandstand in front of everyone. Ignoring him, he kept his attention focused on his enemy who had stopped to watch the Master.

_If you get one step closer to her, I will kill you; I don't care what the Master has in mind_. He thought.

He gripped the side of his chair fighting the urge to grab his double and wrestle him to the ground.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor looked from the Master back to Rose. He was so near now. Just another step and he could grab her. If he got her to Jack or Martha, had her stand right by one of them and have them share a key with her, she would be hidden from sight. They could take her away and no one would know what happened. First though, he had to get her attention without her making a sound and alerting his double. Perhaps, if he leaned down into her ear and whispered to her. Tell her what he wanted her to do. He bent down towards her ear.

"Kill him."

Rose gasped and the Doctor jerked upright when one of the Toclafane shot a laser at Winters and disintegrated him. In the confusion, the Doctor tried to grab Rose, but to his surprise, the alternate Doctor leapt from his seat and grabbed his neck.

"Surprise, bozo!" he said taking the key off his neck.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

All hell broke loose on the Valiant. The Doctor tried to make a grab for Rose as she tried to put her arms around him. The alternate Doctor grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and threw her to the floor.

"Rose!" the Doctor screamed.

The alternate Doctor threw the enraged Doctor into the waiting arms of two guards and snatched Rose in his arms as she tried to run to him.

"Grab them!" the Master yelled pointing to Martha and Jack.

Martha and Jack tried to make a run for it, but were quickly surrounded by guards.

"Doctor!" Rose cried as the guards forced him to walk towards the Master.

She struggled in the alternate Doctor's arms, but he was too strong for her. Laughing, he pulled Rose towards the back of the room as the Doctor looked back at her and tried to break free.

"Give me your gun!" the alternate Doctor yelled to a guard.

The guard threw him the gun and he held it against Rose's head. The Doctor immediately stopped resisting and turned back towards the Master.

"We meet at last, Doctor. Oho, I love saying that!"

"Stop it, stop it now!" the Doctor screamed at him.

"As if the perception filter is gonna work on me." The Master said.

"Or me!" the alternate Doctor yelled.

"And look, it's the girly and the freak, although I'm not sure which one's which."

Jack hesitated a moment and then tried to attack the Master. The alternate Doctor stared at him in shock when he whipped out a small device and shot Jack dead.

"Jack!" Rose screamed.

"Laser screwdriver, who'd have sonic? And the good thing is, he's not dead for long, I get to kill him again!"

The alternate Doctor stared at it.

"What the Hell, where did that come from? I didn't know he had a laser thing-a-ma-bob." He said to himself.

He gasped and grabbed Rose tight when she nearly succeeded in breaking free.

"Oh, no you don't." he said in her ear.

"Please, let them go." Rose said to the Master.

The Master considered her request.

"Nah. Don't wanna." He said to her.

"Master, just calm down. Just look at what you're doing. Just stop! If you could see yourself."

"Oh do excuse me." The Master said to the TV camera. "Bit of personal business back in a minute." He looked at the guards. "Let him go."

Rose gasped when they threw the Doctor to the floor. She struggled to get to him.

"Let me go, you bastard!" she said to the alternate Doctor.

He laughed and held her tightly against him.

"How does it feel, watching your lover on his knees? Not so brave and strong now, is he?" he purred.

She grunted when he grabbed a hold of her throat.

"If you want to die right here, right now, keep on fighting me." He snarled.

She stopped moving and the alternate Doctor chuckled.

"Good doggie." He said patting her head.

"Ooo, if only I had the Doctor's biological code." The Master said. Oh, wait a minute. I do. I got his hand!"

The alternate Doctor and Rose both paused and stared at the Doctor's severed hand.

"What the hell is that?" the alternate Doctor said.

His mouth dropped open.

"You've got a hand." He said slowly. "A hand. In jar. In your case."

"And if Lazarus made himself younger? What if I reverse it, another hundred years?"

He aimed the laser screwdriver at him. Rose screamed as the Doctor began to jerk and twirl around in fast motion.

"Doctor!" she cried as Martha yelled at the Master to stop.

The alternate Doctor stared at the scene with glee. He didn't know what the Master was doing, but it didn't matter if it made his double scream.

Martha felt a hand on her arm and looked down as Jack woke up.

Teleport." He said giving the vortex manipulator to her.

"I can't." Martha said looking between the Doctor and Rose.

"Go, save yourself. Let the Doctor and I worry about ourselves and Rose. You can help us more if you're away from here. Just go. Hurry. Before it's too late."

Finally, the Master let up. Everyone stared in shock at the Doctor who was now a very old man.

The alternate Doctor roared with laughter.

"Oh yes, I don't know how you did it, Master. But I love it!"

He looked down at Rose who was weeping quietly.

"Hey lookie, Rose, you can tell us apart now!" she said.

She tried to break free from him.

"Going somewhere?" He said in her ear as he pressed the gun against her temple.

"Doctor, I've got you." Martha said crawling to his side.

"Aw, she's a would-be Doctor." The Master said.

The alternate Doctor giggled and stared at the Doctor on his knees. He had wanted to kill him, but this was far better. To see him reduced to a weak, gasping invalid made his hearts burst with delight. Evil thoughts flooded his mind as he planned all the fun he would have with grandpa. He was so caught up in thinking up sick, twisted ideas; he barely noticed Martha's family being herded into the room.

Rose stared at the Doctor. She still loved him. It didn't matter what he looked like to her. He was still the same, handsome man she had fallen in love with. She wanted more than anything to go to him, throw her arms around his neck and be at his side. But, she couldn't do it without being shot, and since she wasn't immortal or had multiple regenerations, she had to stand by for the moment and watch as the alternate Doctor rejoiced behind her.

"Is it time? Is it ready? Is the machine singing?"

The Master looked at his watch.

"Two minutes past."

Rose saw the Doctor stiffen.

"Here we go, Rose, show time." The alternate Doctor purred.

He forced her to walk over to a nearby window. As they did, Rose looked at her friends.

"I love you." She mouthed to the Doctor.

The Doctor smiled and nodded.

"HERE…COME…THE…DRUMS!"

'Voodoo Child' filled the room as the alternate Doctor forced Rose to look out the window. The Master ran to another window as a huge rift opened above the Valiant and hundreds of thousands of Toclafane invaded the skies. The Master ran from the little window and climbed up the stairs. He blew a kiss at the Doctor and escorted his wife over to the big window at the back.

"How many do you think?" he asked as the Toclafane came down like rain.

"I…I don't know."

"Six billion." He replied.

He turned off the music.

"Down you go, kids!" he yelled.

Rose's heart sank when she watched the Toclafane descend on the unsuspecting populace below. She had seen what one Toclafane could do to a person. But six billion…

She looked back at the Doctor who was whispering something to Martha. The alternate Doctor looked back at them and looked at Rose.

"Probably telling her he soiled himself and needs a change." He said to her.

"You aren't gonna be so smug when my Doctor gets through with you." She said to him.

The alternate Doctor snorted.

"What's gramps gonna do? Throw his colostomy bag at me?" he said.

"Shall we decimate them?" the Master asked Lucy. "That sounds good. Nice word. Decimate."

He paused.

"Remove one tenth of the population."

"One tenth?" the alternate Doctor muttered. "Remove them all. Every last stinking ape."

Rose ignored him as she watched Martha rise to her feet with the vortex manipulator. She looked around at everyone. When her eyes fell on Rose, she smiled.

"Take care of them." She mouthed to her.

Rose smiled.

"I will." She mouthed back.

Martha backed up, then closing her eyes; she pressed a button on the manipulator and vanished. Rose glanced at the alternate Doctor, but he was too transfixed on the Toclafane to notice she was gone. She looked up at the Master and Lucy and saw they hadn't noticed either. She looked back at the Doctor who was smiling at her.

"My Rose." He mouthed to her.

Rose smiled at him and at Jack. Then, she watched as the Master turned towards the guards.

"Bring him to me." He said pointing at the Doctor.

Rose's heart raced wondering what he was going to do with him. The alternate Doctor turned away from the window and watched with anticipation as they grabbed under the Doctor's arms and hauled him up the stairs. Jack tried to follow, but was cut short when another guard pointed a gun at his head.

"Hello, Doctor, thought you might like a better view of the destruction of your beloved Earth." He said, as he and Lucy grabbed the Doctor's arms.

The Doctor's hearts sank when he saw the fires burning on the ground below him as thousands of Toclafane lasers shot through the sky killing the humans he loved so much. The Master watched his expression with glee knowing that it was killing him to watch the carnage. Smirking, he leaned in close to him.

"So it came to pass that the human race fell and the Earth was no more, and I looked down upon my new dominion as Master of all…and I thought it…good."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

(Two Months Later…)

Rose woke before dawn. It was still dark outside, but she had to rise to begin her chores. She looked back at the alternate Doctor sleeping beside her with a look of disgust and sat up on the edge of the bed. Today it would be two months. Two months since the Toclafane came. Two months since all their worlds were turned upside down and inside out. Two short months, but it seemed like an eternity.

She rose and sighed softly when she walked over to the chair and the maid's uniform slung over it. She and Martha's family had been turned into servants. Jack had been chained down in the depths of the ship like a beast and the Doctor…

Rose swallowed hard. After the Master discovered Martha had vanished, he had tortured and beat him unmercifully demanding to know where she had gone. Normally, his young body would have been able to withstand it, but he had nearly killed him. He had only stopped when he noticed that the Doctor was near death. Despite all the punishment he had undergone, he still refused to tell the Master or the alternate Doctor where Martha had gone or what he had said to her. Eventually they gave up and left him more or less alone figuring that he was so old now, he could do no harm. Aside from the occasional humiliation, he was left to his own devices.

Jack, on the other hand, used to be a servant with the rest of them until he decided to revolt. He had succeeded in knocking out two guards before one of the Toclafane shot him dead. After that, he was chained up and kept under close watch at all times. Rose and Tish took turns feeding him and seeing to his needs since he could no longer take care of himself. She and Tish supplied him with what little news they heard about the outside world and kept his spirits up.

Rose smiled. She had gotten to know Martha's family well in the two months they had been forced to work together. Francine reminded her of her own mum and the two women had become very close to the point that Francine thought of her as a third daughter. Clive, she didn't see as much, but they still greeted each other and stopped to talk whenever they got the chance. Tish was the one she saw the most often and the two of them had formed a firm friendship. If it wasn't for her, she didn't know how she would be able to stand the long hours slaving away on the ship.

Rose finished changing into her maid's outfit and brushed her hair quickly. She looked back at the alternate Doctor still sleeping contentedly and rolled her eyes. Ever since the day the Toclafane invaded, he had insisted on her sleeping with him. She had resisted at first knowing that he was doing it mainly to torment the Doctor, but after he threatened to turn on the chip and make her do it, she had relented. She didn't want her mind enslaved and cause the Doctor more pain than he was already in. So she agreed on the condition that he allow her access to the Doctor. He was hesitant about that at first, but seeing that the old man could barely muster up enough strength to stand, let alone make an escape attempt, he agreed. So, for the chance to be alone with the man she loved, she had agreed to be the alternate Doctor's bed mate. So far, he had restricted himself to fondling her. Whether or not, it would eventually lead to penetration she wasn't sure, but at the moment, she didn't care. As long as her mind was free and she could hold her Doctor in her arms, she would put up with it.

That was why she was up so early. Normally, her duties began at the crack of dawn, but she always made sure to rise before that so she could spend a few precious moments alone with her angel.

Silently, she slipped out the door and headed through the wide corridor to the conference room where she knew the Doctor was sleeping. The alternate Doctor had constructed a little tarp tent for him and threw some bedding in it telling him if he wanted to hang around dogs, then he should live like one. Rose couldn't stand the thought of him being in there, but she knew there were worse fates so she kept silent.

She entered the darkened conference room making her way to the tent in the corner. Kneeling down, she peeled back one flap and noticed the Doctor smiling at her in the dark.

"Right on time." He said softly. "I could set my watch by you."

"Doctor." Rose whispered.

The Doctor opened his arms and embraced her when she lay down beside him. He rubbed her back and laid his head on top of hers kissing her tenderly. Rose wept softly in his arms letting all her pent-up emotions out, knowing that she could let everything out in front of him and not be ridiculed for it. The Doctor said nothing. He rubbed her back and kissed her head knowing that she needed to do this every morning so she could keep her sanity. He cursed his aged body knowing that he was helpless at the moment to protect Rose and everyone else from his enemies. Being helpless physically didn't mean he was helpless mentally, however, and he had been busy tuning his mind into the Archangel Network and readying himself for the day he would enact his secret plan. He had told Rose nothing of the plan nor had he told anyone else. He feared that if his enemies knew he was planning something, they might torture his love and his friends to find out what it was. That, he could never allow. So, reluctantly, he kept his closest companion in the dark about his scheme.

Finally, the tears had run their course and the Doctor smiled at her.

"Feel better?" he asked softly.

Rose sniffed and nodded.

"Good." He whispered.

He gently lifted her chin and wiped the tear streaks away with the pads of his fingers.

"Don't give up, Rose." He said softly caressing her face.

"I…I'm not." Rose replied. "It's just that sometimes…"

"I know." The Doctor said. "I know how horrible it is for you and everyone else and I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I want so much to turn back the clock and make everything normal again."

Rose laughed softly.

"Yeah, that'll take a miracle, I expect."

"Well, I specialize in miracles, you know."

Rose looked at him and frowned when she saw the enigmatic smile on his face.

"Doctor, you have a plan, don't you?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah, I always have a plan."

"What is it?"

The Doctor remained silent.

"Please tell me." She begged.

"I can't."

"Why not?"

The Doctor cupped her face with his hands.

"Because I love you too much to risk them torturing you." He said.

"I'll never tell, Doctor. I would die before I told them anything."

He smiled softly.

"I know that," He whispered. "But, I still don't want to risk it. If you know nothing, then you're safe. Just trust in me. I promise this won't last forever."

Rose nodded and snuggled against him. She looked up and groaned softly when she noticed that the sunlight was beginning to show through the tarp.

"No." she moaned holding him tighter.

"You must."

"No, I don't want to leave you. I don't want to go." She said pressing her face into his chest.

"I'll be alright, my Angel." He said softly. "You have to go before you get in trouble and they prevent you from doing this."

He pressed his lips to the top of her head and let them linger there for a moment.

"I don't want this taken away." He whispered to her. "I love our mornings together. It helps my sanity as much as it helps yours. We need each other now more than ever. I need to know you're alright. Please, you must obey them for now, for both our sakes."

Rose nodded. He put his head against hers and they lingered there for a moment feeling each other's breath on their faces. Then, reluctantly, Rose pulled away from the warmth and safety of the Doctor's arms so she could begin another day of enslavement. The Doctor kissed her hand tenderly and smiled as Rose backed out of the tent.

"I'll see you later, I hope." He said squeezing her hand.

"Are you kidding, I'm not about to go a whole day without seeing you." Rose replied.

The Doctor chucked softly. Rose leaned forward and kissed his lips one last time.

"My handsome Doctor." She whispered to him. "I love you so much."

"And I love you." He whispered. "Now go, hurry before they see you."

Rose nodded. She ran her hand across his cheek one last time and then she was gone. The Doctor let out a contented sigh and closed his eyes taking advantage of the peace and quiet to tune into the satellites and link his mind with them.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Martha yawned as the sunlight hit her eyelids. She sat up and stretched her aching muscles. Two months on the run and she still hadn't gotten used to sleeping on the ground. She hugged her body trying to warm herself in the chill of the morning. She ran her hand into her jacket and grabbed the key, making sure the perception filter was still around her neck. Satisfied that it was there, she stood up and looked around at her surroundings. A couple of days ago, she had teleported into Poland and had encountered a few bombed out cities and scattered pockets of people. She had dutifully carried out the Doctor's orders whenever she saw anyone, telling the survivors of the amazing man she loved so much and giving them the instruction to tell others of him and pass along the one word instruction. She had no idea what the Doctor had in mind, but she had been with him long enough to know that she could trust whatever he was doing and so she didn't question the odd command he was asking her to give to the survivors of planet Earth. She only hoped whatever he was doing would work.

She stood and started walking again, slowly making her way across the countryside. She hoped in a few days to teleport into Russia. That country would take time to visit fully. A month, maybe two at least. But she would do it without complaint. For the Doctor, for the world. She never thought in her wildest dreams that a year ago that she would be asked to do something like this. But, then she never dreamed she would meet a time traveling alien either.

So, far, she had managed to have her basic needs fulfilled. Granted, she would have preferred spending the night in ritzy hotels rather than sleeping on the hard, cold ground or on the floor of bombed out buildings. But, all the survivors she had met along the way had been extremely gracious, providing her with food and shelter without thought of repayment.

She reached the top of a hill and looked over at another city. It looked deserted, but Martha knew better. So far, she had met people in every town and city she came across and she was sure this place would be no different. They were there; she just had to know where to look.

She walked down the hill and trudged the half mile towards the bombed out city hugging her body against the frigid cold. As she entered the city limits, she noticed a few cars scattered around. She glanced in one and quickly looked away when she saw the decaying body of the driver slumped over the steering wheel. Some of the dead had been buried after the attack, but there had been so many that most people had finally just given up and left them to the animals and the elements. There was no time to feel pity for the dead when you had to concentrate on your own survival.

Martha froze when she saw two Toclafane emerge from a deserted building. She stood perfectly still keeping her eyes on the spheres as they made their rounds. The Toclafane acted as the Master's enforcers now, making sure that everyone obeyed him and killing any who rebelled. They were everywhere, in every city and it was only due to the perception filter that she had been able to escape detection. She thanked the Doctor every day for thinking of it. She would have never been able to fulfill her mission without the safety of the key around her neck.

Martha held her breath when one of the spheres came close to her. She made herself rigid glancing sideways at the Toclafane as it hovered inches from her face. It stayed beside her for a few moments before it moved off. Martha let out her breath when the other one followed and they turned the corner and flew out of sight.

"Thank God the perception filter works on those things." Martha muttered to herself.

She walked slowly keeping her eyes open for the Toclafane. As she passed by one building, she noticed in the alley next to it there was a fire burning inside a metal oil drum. She paused a moment and smiled when a few people emerged from the shadows and began to warm themselves again.

"Hi." She said walking towards them. "I'm Martha Jones. It's nice to meet you."

The group of people stared at her silently for a moment and then a haggard looking man stepped forward.

"I'm Baltazar." He said shaking her hand.

"Nice to meet you Baltazar." She replied.

"And you."

The man was speaking perfect English. Everyone she had met had spoken English to her and had been able to understand her in return. Whether or not that was due to the TARDIS still being able to translate, she wasn't sure. But, she was happy that she was able to speak to people without having to know a million different languages and dialects. It made her job that much easier.

"Is there somewhere where I can rest awhile and maybe get something to eat?" Martha asked.

"Of course. Follow me."

Martha smiled and nodded.

"Thank you." She said.

Baltazar led her into the building next to the alley. She noticed a careworn woman inside using the fireplace to cook dinner.

"Irena, this is Martha Jones. This is my wife, Irena." He said.

"It's very nice to meet you." Martha said extending her hand.

"And you." Irena said shaking it.

She gestured to a small wooden table.

"Come, sit and eat with us." She said.

"Thank you." Martha said gratefully.

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Martha sighed contentedly as she finished the last of the stew her hosts had provided her with.

"That really hit the spot. Thank you so much." She said.

"You are most welcome, child." Baltazar replied, smiling.

He frowned.

"I wish to ask you though, where are you from? You are not from around here." He said.

"No, I'm not. I'm from London, England."

Baltazar and Irena glanced at each other.

"What are you doing so far from home?" Irena asked.

"Well, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. See, I'm going from town to town because I want to tell everyone about a very special friend of mine and I was wondering if you could maybe round up everyone in the town and have them meet somewhere where I can talk to them all at once?"

Baltazar glanced at his wife.

"I think I can do that. I'll ask my friends outside to help. Is it that important that you meet with everyone?"

"Yes, it's very important, believe me." Martha said.

Baltazar nodded.

"I'll go tell my friends to find everyone they can and have them gather at Piotr's house. He has a very big house so I think everyone will fit in there." He said rising.

Martha smiled.

"Thank you." She said. "I appreciate it."

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A few hours later, Martha stood in the living room of Piotr's house and stared at the group assembled before her. There were only about thirty people. Martha's heart ached wondering if that was all that was left here. She hoped the low turnout was because they were the only ones Baltazar's friends could round up and not because the Toclafane had killed everyone else. She leaned against the wall as thirty faces stared at her expectantly. She wasn't used to public speaking and doing this always made her nervous, but she wasn't going to let a few butterflies in her stomach prevent her from carrying out her duty.

She smiled at the group.

"Hi, I'm Martha Jones. I know you don't know me and that's okay. I'm not important. The reason I'm here is because I want you to know about a very special man and what he has done for us all.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

"Mornin' Rose." Tish said when she saw her friend walking up to her.

"Mornin' Tish."

"Ready for another fun filled day scrubbing down the Valiant?" Tish asked.

Rose rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I can hardly wait." She said as Tish laughed softly.

Rose looked down at the metal bowl on the metal tray and picked it up.

"You wanna feed Jack this morning or should I?" Rose asked.

"You can do it. I'll get started on the floor." Tish replied.

She nodded and the two women walked together.

"How's the Doctor this morning?" Tish asked.

"He's fine."

"They're not hurting him, are they?"

"No, they haven't done that lately. I think they finally realized that he's never gonna tell them what happened to Martha."

"I hope she's alright."

"Yeah, me too."

They gasped when a Toclafane flew out in front of them.

"Are you two talking and not working?" he said to them.

"We're gonna work. I just have to walk to the supply closet to get the mop and bucket and Rose is going to feed Jack."

"You better be telling the truth, I'd hate to see two pretty girls like you die."

The Toclafane giggled as he flew off.

"Aw, bite me, ball boy." Tish muttered.

Rose grinned at her.

"Ball boy?"

"Well, yeah, that's what he is."

They snickered.

They paused at the supply closet.

"Have a good day, Rose; I'll talk to you later. Tell Jack hi for me." She said.

"I will, you have a good day too." Rose replied.

She walked on while Tish opened the door to the supply closet and got out the mop and bucket.

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"Mornin' Rose." Jack said smiling at her as she opened the chain link door and walked into the room.

"Eggs and bacon?" he said hopefully staring at the bowl.

His face fell when he looked into it.

"Damn, more mushy shit." He said.

He winked at Rose when she laughed.

"Do you need to go to the bathroom first?" Rose asked.

"Hell yes, I feel like I'm gonna explode." Jack said.

Rose sighed staring at his chained wrists. She looked over at the guard standing beside him.

"Could you release one of his wrists so he can at least pee?" she asked him.

"No, he is to be chained at all times. Saxon's orders." The guard said looking at her.

Rose rolled her eyes as he looked back at the door.

"Dick." She mouthed to Jack.

Jack grinned and nodded.

"Speaking of." He mouthed to her and looked down at his crotch.

Rose shook her head.

"You enjoy this, don't ya?" she asked reaching down to grab the tin can at his feet.

"Oh yeah, I enjoy being chained up 24/7, having no feeling in my arms and watching as a beautiful woman helps me to pee. It's the reason I became a time agent in the first place."

Rose reached up and undid his fly. She hesitated a moment and glanced up at him.

"What's the matter, Blondie, don't like handling the goods?" he asked her with a sly grin.

"No, it's just that it's hard to get a grip on something so tiny."

"Ouch, that wasn't very nice." He said as Rose giggled.

"Well, you know, compared to my Doctor, you're just a teeny tiny midget." Rose said, shrugging.

"Geez, and I thought the Master and Demon Doctor were experts at torture." Jack said.

He watched as Rose reached in and brought his penis out of the hole in his pants. She held the can up and leaned back while Jack relieved himself.

"Oh yeah, that feels so good." Jack said closing his eyes. "It's hell holding it in. I never thought I'd miss the john so much."

He finished up and Rose sat the can down.

"Do you need to evacuate the other side?" she asked.

"No, I'll spare you that torment for today." Jack replied.

"Good." Rose said.

She put his penis back in his pants and zipped up his fly.

"Be right back." She said. "Gotta dump this and wash my hands."

"I won't go anywhere." Jack said as she walked towards the bathroom.

A few minutes later, she returned with the empty can. She sat it down at Jack's feet and picked up the bowl. She stirred the gruel with the spoon and held the bowl close to Jack while she fed him.

"How is the Doctor?" Jack asked between bites.

"He's fine. I saw him before I came to see you."

Jack nodded. He took another bite and made a face.

"Ugh, the Master needs to hypnotize a chef and get him up here to make some decent food." He said.

"You oughta see what they feed the Doctor."

"Yeah, I can just imagine."

Rose glanced at the guard. She leaned in to Jack's ear.

"The Doctor has a plan. I don't know what it is though. He won't tell me." She whispered.

"I figured as much." Jack whispered into her ear.

She quickly leaned back when the guard gave her a suspicious look and gave Jack another spoonful of gruel.

"I wish they would let you go. I hate to see you chained up like this." She said.

"Well, I guess I shouldn't have tried to make a break for it and save my friends, but hey, it's better than wasting away here doing nothing." He said.

"I hate seeing you die over and over."

"You hate it? Think about how I feel. Think how annoying it is to die and keep waking up afterwards."

He ate another spoonful of gruel.

"It's all my fault you're like this, Jack." She said. "The Doctor told me why you can't die."

"Now, don't go blaming yourself for this, Rose. You brought me back to life and I'm in your debt for that. I'd rather be alive and immortal than dead and not able to be with my friends. You've done nothing wrong."

Rose smiled at him.

"Thanks Jack." She said softly.

"You're welcome, Blondie, now hurry up and spoon that gruel down my throat so I can take a dump and inconvenience you more!"

She giggled as the guard shot him a look.

"What?" he said to the guard. "As long as she's here, I might as well get all my bodily functions out of the way."

The guard rolled his eyes and looked back at the door.

"Rose."

"Yes, Jack?"

"If I ever get to the point where I become an anal retentive asswipe with no sense of humor, will you please do me a favor and bury a stake deep in my heart so I won't be able to come back to life?"

Rose smiled.

"You got it."

"Thanks."

Jack took another bit of gruel and smiled at Rose as he ate.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor sat in his wheelchair looking out the window and watching as several Toclafane flew past. He sighed looking at them sadly. It had taken him about a month, but he finally figured out what they really were. The Master was right. It did break his hearts. To know that the people he helped in the year 100 trillion ended up like this was more than he could bear. But with all that had happened, it was just one more thing he had to deal with right now.

He heard the door slide open behind him. He knew that Rose wouldn't be back this early, not with the workload she and the others had been given. That left two possibilities. The Master or his double.

"Mornin' Gramps!"

It was his double.

He looked at the alternate Doctor's reflection in the window when he came up behind him and leaned down.

"Poop your pants today?" he said to him.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. He said that almost every chance he got and the Doctor didn't think it was funny the first time he heard it, let alone the nine hundred times since then. The alternate Doctor seemed to think it was funny though from the giggling he was doing which led the Doctor to silently question his double's level of maturity.

The alternate Doctor wrinkled his nose.

"Phew, sure smells like it." He said making a face. "Maybe I oughta get Rose to wipe your ass for ya; I hear she does it for Jack."

The Doctor said nothing. He gasped when the alternate Doctor kicked the back of his wheelchair.

"Hey, Grandpa, I'm talking to you!" he said. "Don't pretend to look out the window. Rassilon knows you're nearly blind anyway, so turn around and answer me!"

The Doctor let out an angry sigh. The alternate Doctor backed up while he turned the wheelchair around and gave him a pointed look.

"I'm listening." The Doctor said to him.

"You sure? I mean you don't have your hearing aids in or anything." The alternate Doctor said leaning over to look at his ears.

"Excuse me, can I ask you a question?" the Doctor said.

The alternate Doctor stared at him warily.

"Yeah." He said hesitantly.

"How old are you?"

The alternate Doctor was taken aback.

"How old am I?"

"Yes, how old are you?"

"Not as old as you are, obviously."

The Doctor sighed.

"Answer the question." He said.

The alternate Doctor folded his arms over his chest.

"I'm 725."

"THEN ACT LIKE IT!" The Doctor roared at him.

The alternate Doctor stared at him in shock for a moment and then he backhanded the Doctor hard across the face. The Doctor grunted when he grabbed him by his lapels and jerked him forward.

"Don't mouth off to me, Grandpa, or I'll punch you so hard in the face, you really will need dentures." He snarled. "I have been extremely generous letting you and Rose have your little kissy-face sessions in the morning; I'd hate to see that ended because of your smart mouth!"

He shoved the Doctor back in his chair.

The Doctor smirked at him.

"It must burn you up inside knowing that Rose loves me and not you." He said to him.

"I don't give a damn about her."

"Oh, really, then why is she in your bed?"

The alternate Doctor leaned over and smirked at him.

"Because I know how much it must kill you to know that the love of your life is beside me at night while you're alone in your little dog house." He said.

"I know where Rose's heart lies." The Doctor said shrugging. "Every morning she comes to me, lays with me in my "dog house" and holds me tight, which indicates to me that she doesn't enjoy being with you. You can look like me, you can sound like me, but you're never gonna be me no matter how hard you try."

He smirked when the alternate Doctor stared at him in silence.

"That's what you're hoping, isn't it? That now since I'm so old and supposedly ugly to Rose, that she'll give her love to you because you're my duplicate? Sorry, but the outside of me is not what Rose is in love with, and in that respect, we are as different as night and day. You have as much chance of her falling madly in love with you as I do marrying a Dalek. That's why you keep on being generous and letting her get away with things. Because you want her to think that deep down, you're a nice guy who is completely misunderstood and you will only love her and treat her right if given half the chance. Sorry, but she sees through that kind of stuff. She knows what's going on and no matter how merciful you are to her, it won't change a thing."

He leaned forward and looked him in the eye.

"And if you knock all my teeth out, she'll hate you even more, so I'd really advise against that."

He leaned back and gave him a smug grin. He watched as the alternate Doctor balled up his fist.

"Go right ahead, blacken my eye. Let Rose see what a heartless bastard you really are." He said. "Beating up on a defenseless old man, yeah, that'll score ya some brownie points in her book."

The alternate Doctor stared at him for a moment. The Doctor watched him unclench his fist.

"Thought so." He said smugly.

He grunted when the alternate Doctor grabbed his face.

"I wouldn't gloat just yet, old man; there are other things I could do to you that won't leave a mark on your body. I could do what I did to your beloved and strap you into the mind raper machine."

He smirked at the horrified look on the Doctor's face.

"Oh, she didn't tell you? I looked into her memories and saw the two of you. All your intimate sappy moments together. All the hand holding and hugging and kissing. I know all about the Bad Wolf and how you drew the power out of her. I know every single memory in your lover's head. How about if I look into yours? I wanna see if you scream just as loudly as she did."

He laughed as the Doctor let out an enraged yell and lunged at him. The alternate Doctor brought his foot up and slammed it into his chest with such force he nearly tipped back in the wheelchair.

"I may not have had her body yet, Doctor, but I've had her mind." He gloated. "So, you just think of that while you're sitting here crippled and helpless. Then when Rose comes back in here, you can ask her why she didn't tell you. Seems there are still some secrets between you, eh? Makes you wonder what else she's kept hidden?"

He grinned at him as the Doctor stared back, enraged.

"Well, you have fun wheeling yourself around the room; I gotta go find my partner and help him rule the world. See ya."

He snickered as he turned and left the room leaving the tormented Doctor alone with his thoughts.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

The Master sat in his office relaxing as he sipped a glass of brandy. Reports were coming in every day from his shipyards. His missiles were slowly, but surely being built thanks to the generous help of the "volunteers" working on them. He estimated about eight more months and then he could unleash them upon the universe and start his war.

He looked over when the door slid open and the alternate Doctor stomped in.

"Someone's not a happy camper." He said.

The alternate Doctor sank down in the seat across the table from him.

"I want him dead." He said.

"Who?"

"You know who."

The Master glanced at him.

"What's wrong? Tiring of the old fart jokes already?" he asked.

"Why is he still alive? Why haven't you killed him?" the alternate Doctor demanded.

The Master took a sip of brandy.

"I'm keeping him around as a pet." He said. "It amuses me to see him sitting there crippled and helpless while I subjugate his beloved Earth."

"He's a menace."

The Master snorted.

"Tell me something I don't know."

"He could escape."

The Master raised his eyebrow.

"How? Use his zimmer frame to walk to the door, jump out and use the loose skin on his body as a parachute?"

"Very funny."

"Well, you tell me then, how could he possibly escape?" the Master shot back.

"Rose, his friends, his TARDIS, my TARDIS!" the alternate Doctor said.

"Rose has that chip, Jack is chained up, Martha's family is being watched closely, his TARDIS is a paradox machine and your TARDIS is behind a locked door that is guarded at all times by four Toclafane. Any other possibilities you can think of?"

"I just would rest a lot easier if he were dead and gone." The alternate Doctor said leaning back in his chair.

"I want the Doctor to witness the launch of the missiles. After that, he and his friends will be put to death." The Master replied.

"What about Martha? She could help him escape." The alternate Doctor said.

The Master smirked.

"Martha is of no consequence." He said. "She's a mere child. She can do nothing to stop us."

"I thought you said that the Doctor picked his companions for a reason?"

"I did. But, I have reports from Toclafane scouts who have heard people discussing her. Seems she is traveling east away from Great Britain. So, you see, the child is turning tail and running away as fast as she can. The last known sighting is from Germany so if she does decide to come back, it'll take her awhile and by then we'll have launched the warheads."

"Why are people discussing her? What are they saying?" the alternate Doctor said.

"Just that she appears out of nowhere, talks about the Doctor and leaves." The Master said shrugging.

"Why is she telling people about the Doctor?"

The Master sighed.

"Probably because she misses shagging the man. I don't know why she's doing it. Poor child is probably delusional after seeing tons of people get slaughtered."

"I don't like this."

The Master rolled his eyes.

"Why am I not surprised?"

"No, what if she's doing something for the Doctor? What if she's trying to find a way to stop us? The Doctor said something to her. The surveillance camera showed that. I wanna know what he said to her. We need to torture the geezer again and get him to talk!"

"He'll never tell us."

"Well, we need to try harder."

The Master sighed.

"You just don't get it, do you? The Doctor is not gonna tell us. It doesn't matter how much pain we put him in, the man will not betray his friends like that!"

"Then, we torture Rose."

"Yeah, and that'll just make him clam up even more."

"I don't think so."

"Well, then have at it! Go ahead and shove her back in the mind raper machine. Break every bone in her body, if you want. The Doctor still won't talk. All you'll do is make him more determined to rip your hearts out of your body. You know, you just won't listen to a word I say. I've have fought this man for centuries. Don't you think I've figured out what works and what doesn't? Just trust me for a change; I'm not my double, okay? I've got an indirect, underhanded way of getting information on Martha's activities."

"Yeah, how?"

The Master smiled.

"The old fashioned way. Kidnapping and blackmail."

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Rose let out a sigh of relief when she put the mop and bucket aside for the moment. It was two o'clock and everyone was permitted to take a half hour lunch break. Tish brought over a tray containing four paper bags.

"This one's yours." She said handing her a bag. "I'll take the others to mum and dad. You going to eat with the Doctor?"

Rose nodded.

"Have fun."

Rose walked towards the conference room. As she walked, she opened the bag and noticed there was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a bag of crisps and a juice box. Closing it, she quickened her pace eager to be with the Doctor.

The door slid open and she found him sitting on the floor in front of the tent.

"Hey, it's lunch break." She said walking up to him. "I have half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and some crisps I can share with ya and---"

"Rose, sit down, please."

Rose looked at him. Her heart raced when he saw the anguish in his eyes.

"No!" she said lowering himself to him. "Oh God, what have they done to you now?"

"They've done nothing to me physically."

"Then, why do you look that way?"

He took her hand.

"He told me. The other Doctor told me about putting you in the mind raper machine."

Rose felt her heart stop.

"Doctor." she murmured

"When did this happen?"

She bit her lip.

"A couple of days before the Toclafane came." She said softly.

She felt the Doctor put her hands on the side of her head. He turned her head so she would look at him.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I…I was afraid to. After everything that happened, I didn't want to cause you any more pain." She said softly.

"It would have caused me a lot less pain hearing it from you." He said. "I had to listen to my double gloat about it."

"Doctor, I'm sorry, I really am. I just…didn't want you to know. I didn't want your hearts to break."

"My hearts are already broken, after all that's happened over the past two months. I don't think it'll matter if they break a little more."

He took Rose in his arms and stroked her hair while she sobbed on his shoulder.

"Rose, please don't be afraid to tell me anything." He said softly. "I've been around for over 900 years. I've seen it all. I can handle anything you tell me."

He kissed her temple.

"Now, has he done anything else to hurt you? Anything at all. I want to know." He said to her.

"Just jerking my arm around and slapping me." She said.

The Doctor rubbed her side.

"That's it? Because I'm serious, Rose, I want to know everything he's done."

"He's fondled me."

The Doctor sighed angrily.

"Yes, I know all about that courtesy of my double. But, other than that?"

Rose shook her head.

"Nothing else, I swear. The only reason he put me in that mind raper thing was I tried to escape and grab the box he has that controls the chip."

The Doctor nodded. He wiped away her tears and kissed her cheek. As Rose stared at him, a smile spread over his face.

"What? Why are you smiling?" she asked.

"You know, that mind raper machine is hell on a person's mind. Most people go insane after having that done to them. But no, not my Rose. Strap her in, go through her memories and she'll laugh in your face and come back for more." He said proudly. "Yup, my double better watch putting his hands on you, because I'm sure he'll live to regret it."

Rose laughed in spite of herself.

"Yup, you're right. He tries to shag me and I'll rip his penis off his body and toss it in the corner."

The Doctor feigned terror and quickly put his legs together. He smiled when Rose laughed again and punched him playfully in the arm.

"Well, I guess you better eat up then and get back to work, so our lord and Master won't have you scrubbing the floors with a toothbrush." He said.

Rose scooted closer to the Doctor, broke off half her sandwich and handed it to him.

"No, Rose, you eat it." He said. "You need it more than I do."

"I just hate what they feed you."

"So do I, but I can put up with it. Just eat. You need your strength. I'll just sit here while you have your peanut butter and jelly and entertain myself imagining my Rose ripping my double's penis off and throwing it in the corner."

Rose laughed. She leaned her head against the Doctor's shoulder and ate her sandwich while the Doctor rubbed her back.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

It was the end of another long day working on the Valiant. Rose walked with Tish to the supply closet. They put their mops and buckets up for the next day and she hugged her.

"See ya tomorrow?" Rose said.

"Definitely. Tell the Doctor good night for me."

"I will."

She waved at Tish and walked off towards the conference room.

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"Evenin'" she said entering the conference room.

The Doctor was sitting on the steps.

"Hello." The Doctor replied.

"All ready to be tucked in?"

He smiled.

"Not just yet. I wondered if you might help me up these stairs first." He said pointing to the upper level.

"Yeah, sure, why?"

His eyes twinkled.

"There's a full moon tonight." He said. "I thought we might admire its beauty before we both retire."

"Sounds good to me."

"I thought you might approve."

He gripped the banister and slowly stood while Rose came to his side and put his arm around her.

"I hate to ask you to do this after all the work you've had to do today." He said with a guilty look in his eyes.

"Believe me, I'd rather do this than scrub and mop floors." She replied.

The Doctor nodded. He went up slowly while Rose helped support him.

"You know in my younger days, I could have probably cleared this staircase in two leaps." He said to her. "Rassilon, how you humans cope with old age is beyond me."

"I thought you grew to be very old when you were in your first life." Rose said.

"Not this old." He replied.

They cleared the last step and Rose walked with him to the huge window. They looked out and saw the moon shining in the distance. They put their arms around each other and stared at it. Rose laid her head on the Doctor's shoulder.

"It's so beautiful." She said staring at it.

"That it is."

She let out a wistful sigh.

"I wish we had the TARDIS so we could get away from here. I hate being cooped up in this hellhole."

"Now you know how I feel when I can't get in and just go." The Doctor said.

Rose leaned forward slightly and glanced down at the ground below.

"It's so dark down there. No lights of any kind." She said.

"They're probably afraid to put any on in case the Toclafane are around."

Rose leaned back and sighed as she held the Doctor tightly.

"How are we going to fix this mess?" she said softly.

"We need to wreck the paradox machine. Once we do that time will go backwards." The Doctor said softly.

Rose looked at him.

"It will?"

"Yes, the paradox machine is what allowed the Toclafane to kill their human ancestors without killing themselves. If we destroy it, time will reverse back to the time before they arrived."

"How do we do it?"

"We don't."

Rose looked at him.

"Doctor…"

"Not yet, it's too risky now." The Doctor said looking at her. "Those Toclafane are guarding it too closely. They'll kill anyone on sight if they try to get near it."

He looked into her eyes.

"Rose, don't." he said reading her mind. "I was just answering your question. I trust you to let that information lie dormant in your mind for the present. When the time is right, we will destroy it, but not now. It's too soon. Do you understand me?"

Rose nodded.

"Say it."

"I understand, Doctor, I won't do anything right now without your say so."

"Good. Because I've been through enough without hearing that you've died. I've lost you twice now; I'm not in the mood to lose you permanently."

She frowned as the Doctor pulled her close.

"But, if we destroy it, won't that wreck the TARDIS?" she asked him.

"Nah, I've had worse happen to it than a paradox machine." The Doctor said softly. "You should have seen it after the destruction of Gallifrey. It took years to get it to work properly again. No, the TARDIS can repair the damage easily. Besides, I'd rather have my ship messed up than have these…things…here."

He smiled at her.

"Don't worry, once this is all sorted out, we'll be back on the open road again." He said.

"Good, because I think I've had my fill of Earth for awhile."

The Doctor chuckled. He kissed her lips and snuggled close to her. As they continued to stare out the window at the moon, they were unaware that the alternate Doctor was standing in the conference room doorway watching them with narrowed eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose kissed the Doctor on the lips as he lay his head down on the bedding.

"Goodnight, Doctor." She said softly.

"Goodnight, Rose, sleep tight and I'll see you the same time tomorrow morning."

"Definitely." She said.

She sighed as she ran her hand over the sparse hair on his head.

"I don't want to go back. Can't I stay with you?" she asked.

"Well, I have no objections, but I'm sure my double would have something to say about it." He said.

Rose smiled at him.

"I'll rip his penis off and throw it in the corner?" she said hopefully.

"Hey, have at him. Just don't be surprised if that doesn't stop him. After all, he is me and I know I'd be gunning for the woman who ripped my manhood off my body."

"Yes, but I'm the Bad Wolf and he wouldn't have a chance against me."

The Doctor nodded.

"Can't argue with that." He said.

She sighed and kissed his lips.

"Keep your spirits up, Rose, we have each other. Be thankful of that." He said.

"I am."

He stroked her cheek.

"You said it yourself. They keep trying to split us up, but they never will." He said.

"What about never say never ever?"

The Doctor grinned.

"Eh, skip that part, its rubbish." He said with a wink.

She gave him another tight hug.

"Good night, Doctor."

"Good night."

She kissed his lips and with a sigh crawled back out of the tent and headed towards the alternate Doctor's bedroom.

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Rose opened the door, peeked inside and breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed he wasn't in the bedroom yet. She had been a few minutes late getting back and she was terrified that she would make the other Doctor angry and see her time with her Doctor ended. She didn't want to think of her life without that small mercy.

She went into the bathroom and turned on the light. Her towel, nightgown and knickers were set out on the towel rack. She slipped off her maid's uniform, bra, and knickers, set them by the sink and turned on the shower. She stuck her hand inside, testing the water while she adjusted the temperature dial. When it reached the exact temperature she wanted, she stepped inside and slid the door closed. She closed her eyes in ecstasy as the hot water soothed her aching body and washed away all the dirt and grime. Stepping back slightly, she grabbed the shampoo and squeezed a small amount onto her hand. As she lathered her hair, she closed her eyes again. As she turned and rinsed the shampoo out, she was unaware that the alternate Doctor was standing against the back wall of the shower, wearing nothing except the Doctor's perception filter around his neck.

His eyes roamed hungrily over Rose's wet, naked body as the shampoo cascaded down it. He glanced back up when he noticed Rose running her fingers through her hair getting the last of the shampoo out. He smiled, feeling himself get hard as he imagined taking her right there and now. He knew it would torment the Doctor if he knew he was violating his Rosebud's privacy and watching her naked body. He could imagine how much more anguished he would be if he knew he had taken her in the shower, claiming her as his own. He held off doing that for the moment. No, he wanted Rose to be unaware of his presence. Then, maybe one night, he would bring the Doctor in, bound and gagged and let the old man witness his dominance over his precious companion.

He watched as she worked the conditioner in. She really was beautiful like this, all wet and soapy. Her skin was slightly red from the temperature of the water giving her the appearance of her namesake. Steam rose around them and the alternate Doctor fought his first instinct to pull off the key and have at her. As she lathered the body wash over her body, he reached down and began to masturbate, half closing his eyes as his senses became overwhelmed from both his ministrations and the sight of her showering in front of him.

He stifled the moans that threatened to come out of his mouth as Rose ran her hands over her body, washing the body wash off her body. He loved this so much. The Doctor may have Rose during the early morning, but he had her during her shower and that, to him, was a far better time to be with her.

The alternate Doctor stifled a moan of disappointment when Rose finished her shower and turned off the water. He watched as she slid open the door, grabbed her pink, fluffy towel and wrapped it around her while she stepped out onto the mat. He waited patiently while she dressed, put her dirty knickers in the hamper and then when she grabbed her maid's uniform and was out the door and into bed, he quickly finished up what he was doing. Contented, he stepped out of the shower, grabbed a towel and dried himself. Putting on his clothes, he crept out the open door and paused to stare at Rose who was already asleep. He admired his sleeping beauty for a moment before he walked out of the bedroom.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

The Doctor lay in the tarp staring up at what passed for the ceiling. He rarely slept even though his old age had sapped most of his strength. He spent most nights tuning into the satellites and planning for the day when he would put a stop to all of this and bring everything back to normal. When he wasn't doing that, he would think of Rose, passing the time imaging her face and her voice and relieving every kiss, every hug she had ever given him. He smiled softly, anticipating their morning routine. It was one of the few things that kept him going nowadays.

He glanced over when his sensitive hearing heard the gentle whoosh of the conference door opening in the stillness of the room. He frowned. Had Rose risked his double's wrath returning to him? He knew for certain that it wasn't time for her to come yet. It had only been an hour tops since she last left him.

He groaned softly when he looked up and saw his double's silhouette through the tarp. Now what did the git want? He was getting tired of his stupid, asinine jokes. At least, he had a respite from them during the night, but apparently his double was about to put a stop to that. Sighing, he braced himself for the obligatory poop your pants comment.

"I expected more from you."

The Doctor was taken aback. He hadn't expected him to say that.

"What do you mean?" he said watching his shadow.

"I expected you to put up more of a fight." The alternate Doctor replied. "Your precious planet Earth is in ruins, your friends are imprisoned, Martha is on the run and your lover lies in my bed and yet you lay there in your tent tolerating it all. It's been two months now and not a single shred of resistance from you. You just sit there in your wheelchair and watch everything happen around you and frankly I'm a little surprised since I've seen what you're capable of. You've beaten me twice. You killed that Slithra and got away from the Artaxis. Old age is not gonna stop you now, so why haven't you fought back yet?"

"There are other ways besides physical means to fight back." The Doctor replied.

"Such as?"

The Doctor snorted.

"What makes you think I'm gonna tell you?" he asked.

"Because I wanna know why you put up with everything. Aren't you the least bit upset that Rose is in my bed? Don't you hate that she's lying beside me every night. I mean, come on, surely these little morning rendezvous of yours don't placate you."

"Maybe because I'm too old and tired to fight back."

"Don't give me that. You aren't beaten yet, not by a long shot. You were near exhaustion when you jumped over that Slithra's body and chopped its head off. You can muster up the strength when you feel like it."

"Are you actually praising my abilities?" the Doctor said.

"I'm acknowledging that you are an amazing fighter and a worthy adversary. As for being my equal, you are far from that."

The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"Why are you so worried all of a sudden about my not fighting back?" he asked as he watched his double's shadow. "Like you said, it's been two months and you haven't said a word until now about my passiveness. Why?"

"Because if I were you, I would fight tooth and nail for Rose."

"What makes you think I'm not doing that? I told you there are other ways to fight someone. You just don't realize that since all you do is maim and kill anyone who gets in your way."

There was a long pause. The Doctor watched his double through the tarp.

"It was a mistake to let you have your freedom."

"What makes you think I'm free?"

"You aren't under lock and key. You're allowed to live here in this conference room without any supervision. The Master is a fool for doing that. If it were up to me, you'd be chained down in the depths with the freak."

The Doctor grinned.

"But, it isn't up to you, is it?" he said gleefully. "This is the Master's show and that's why I haven't been put to death yet. You can't touch me because your lord and Master said so. See, you are as much a slave as I am, maybe more so."

"I am no one's slave."

"Then, kill me. Defy the Master and shove me out the door. Let me fall to the ground and break every bone in my body. Show the Master who is the better, stronger Time Lord!"

He paused and waited while the alternate Doctor hovered above him.

"Well? Do it! Show me you're not a slave here!" he said.

"You have guts, Doctor. I give you that." The alternate Doctor said.

"I just know the truth. I know that you are imprisoned here like I am. The difference is your prison cell is a lot bigger than mine. You are the fool, Doctor. You were a fool to get mixed up with the Master. You were a fool to think that you could just join up with him and assert your authority when the time was right. The Master won't let you do that, trust me. When the time comes, when you've outlived your usefulness to him, you will find yourself in the same position as me and Rose and everyone else on this ship and that position is on your back six feet under the ground. The reason Rose is still with you and not in the Master's clutches is because he is using her to shut you up and keep you under his thumb. If he can keep you occupied with her, then you won't have time to question your situation and fight back. Don't think for one moment that he's not using her in that way. The Master uses everything and everyone around him to his advantage. He is a master manipulator and you are just one of many chess pieces on his game board. Someday soon, the Master will yell checkmate and you will lose not only your position in this whole grand scheme, but your life as well."

He paused and stared up at the shadow.

"Is this whole delusional vision of a Time Lord empire worth being his lackey?" The Doctor said when his double didn't reply. "Are you willing to sacrifice everything to yield to his demands and kowtow at his feet? Because, trust me, if you don't die, that's how you'll end up. A sniveling, little butt kisser who becomes nothing more than another thug in his service. I've fought the Master before and I know exactly how he does things."

"Is that why you haven't fought back?"

"Yes, because I know better. I know there is a time to fight and now is not the time. So, if you came out here hoping for an arena rematch, sorry I'm not interested. I'm not as stupid as you are."

"I wouldn't talk since I'm the one who's not a million years old." The alternate Doctor said to him. "You claim to be so much smarter, yet you walked right in here wearing a perception filter hoping that would work against Time Lords. We both saw you. The Master saw you when he was at the airport. We aren't stupid apes. And because of that, you're now an old man. So, if you are so clever, why did you make such a stupid mistake?"

"Because I was hoping things were different this time." The Doctor said.

"Different? In what way? You just got through telling me that the Master always does everything in the same predictable way. Why would you think he'd be different now?"

"Because circumstances have changed since he and I last fought."

"What circumstances? You mean the whole destruction of Gallifrey thing?"

"Yes, that."

"Why would that make a difference?"

"It's complicated. You wouldn't understand."

Try me, Doctor."

"Why do you care?"

"Because I'm intrigued here. I just want to know why you haven't done anything. If he's so evil and despicable, why did you let him ruin Earth? You could have done something to prevent everything, I'm sure of it. Why didn't you kill him when you had the chance?"

"I'm not here to kill him."

"Oh right, sorry, the whole goody two shoes thing, I forgot. You don't kill for sport. And once again because of your weakness, you have gotten yourself into a tight spot that you can't get out of."

"My spot isn't as tight as you think it is."

The alternate Doctor sighed.

"Yeah, you just continue to work on that whole nonviolent passive aggressive plan of yours. In the meantime, I'm gonna go back and comfort Rose. She's probably cold now without my body warming the bed. I may be a slave, Doctor, but at least I'm a slave with benefits."

He paused.

"And as for the whole Master dominating me, Doctor, I wouldn't get your hopes up that I'll turn on him and take care of him for you. See, I know you're just as much a master at manipulation as he is and sorry, I'm not falling for it. You want the Master out of the way, you'll just have to get up off your saggy baggy elephant butt and do it yourself. So, night night, Doctor. Have fun lying in your dog house. I'll be sure to send Rose your way in the morning."

The Doctor watched as he started to walk off. He paused and turned back to him.

"Oh and about that whole fighting the Master by yourself; I'd watch that if I were you. Wouldn't want you to overexert yourself and crap your pants. It would be a shame if Rose had to clean the floor afterwards. See ya!"

The Doctor sighed angrily as his double walked away.

"Damn, I was hoping for once he'd lay off that." He muttered.


	22. Chapter 22

Twenty-Two

The Doctor lay in his tent for awhile waiting until he was sure his double was asleep.

"You want me to be defiant, Doctor? Okay, I will." He murmured.

He closed his eyes and concentrated on his lover's mind.

_Rose._

Rose opened her eyes when she heard his voice in her head.

"Doctor?" she whispered.

_Rose. It's me._

Rose closed her eyes and concentrated on him.

_Yes, Doctor, I'm here. _She thought to him.

_Up for a little naughty behavior?_

Rose smiled.

_Always._

_Is my double asleep?_

Rose looked over at the alternate Doctor. He was snoring softly.

_Yes._

_Come to me, Rosebud._

Rose smiled. She looked over at the alternate Doctor and eased gently out of bed. She tiptoed towards the door, checked to see that the alternate Doctor was asleep and quickly hurried out the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor was sitting outside his tent. He smiled at Rose when she entered the room.

"Doctor, what's wrong?" Rose asked hurrying over to him.

"My double just came in and accused me of sitting on my butt and being a good boy." He said. "So, I thought you and I could indulge in a little risky behavior and prove the sod wrong."

"What if they find out?"

The Doctor shrugged.

"If they do, they do. You know, as big a windbag as he is, my double does has a point. I'm tired of living in fear, having the threat of our time together being taken away constantly over our head. That's exactly what the Master wants. He wants us to be fearful so we'll obey without question. I say, we're better than that. We own this place and everything in it so why don't you and I take a stroll around our flying kingdom?"

"You got it!"

The Doctor paused.

"You sure you want to? I mean, you do have to work in the morning. We can't completely throw caution to the wind here, at least not yet. I don't want to keep you up when you need your rest."

"Doctor, I would rather spend time with you. Screw sleep." Rose replied.

The Doctor smiled.

"Good." He said. "Now, don't go thinking this is just a romantic stroll. It does have a purpose."

"Yeah, I figured that."

"I want to see more of this place for myself. Get a feel for the layout. Know thy enemy, that sort of thing."

Rose nodded.

"Do you want me to get your wheelchair?"

The Doctor shook his head.

"No, that'll just get in the way if something happens and we have to move quickly. There's another reason why I haven't done anything. I've been taking it easy and conserving my strength for moments like this."

He rose to his feet and smiled at her.

"See, I'm not a total invalid." He said winking.

He took her hand and they walked towards the door.

"You're gonna have to help me out here, Rosebud. You know the layout better than I do so I want you to help guide me around and let me know what you and the others have found out about this place."

Rose nodded. The door slid open and they peered out. Seeing the corridor was clear, they moved out into it.

"What have you found out?" The Doctor whispered.

"This place is guarded by several Toclafane. Most of them come and go, but there are four of them outside one door at all times. Inside is the other Doctor's TARDIS. He brought it up here with me in it before the Toclafane invaded. That's how I know for sure what it is they're guarding."

The Doctor glanced at her and nodded.

"You can fly other TARDISes, can't you?"

"Yes, but I'd have to be very careful. He has defense mechanisms on his TARDIS, as you know. I would have to disable those and gain control of his ship before we took off. That takes a lot of time and we could have the Doctor, the Toclafane and the Master breathing down our neck before I finished. That's not an option at the moment until we put all of them out of commission."

"And the way to do that is to destroy the paradox machine?"

"Well, that would take care of the Toclafane. We'd still have the Doctor and the Master to contend with, but I'd rather fight them alone than deal with them and six billion Toclafane. What about my TARDIS, I assume it has Toclafane guarding it too?"

"It's behind a locked door, I don't see any Toclafane outside like there is with the Doctor's TARDIS, but I'm assuming they're there."

The Doctor nodded.

"Bet on it. Especially since all of us are in here. He won't leave that unguarded for a second." He said.

They paused at a corner and looked around it. Seeing it was empty, they cautiously stepped around the corner and continued on.

"God, I wish you still had the perception filter." Rose said glancing around nervously.

"So do I, but we can manage without it. We did in the past." The Doctor whispered. "So, what else have you learned?"

"There are maybe twenty guards that I've seen down here since I've started working." Rose whispered. "There might be more, but that's all I've seen so far."

The Doctor nodded.

"Jack is just up ahead. They keep him chained up and there's a guard near him at all times during the day. I don't know about at night though. I've never been down here after my curfew."

"Let's go find out then, shall we?"

Rose and the Doctor snuck down the empty corridor. Suddenly, the Doctor grabbed Rose and flung their bodies backwards into the shadows seconds before a Toclafane came around the corner up ahead of them. They froze and watched it warily as it flew slowly down the corridor. Both of them held their breath and watched as it flew by them. They waited and watched until it turned a corner.

"That was close." The Doctor whispered.

"Do you think they'll kill us if they see us?"

"Dunno, but I'm not in any hurry to find out. Just keep close to the wall in case we need to duck into the shadows again."

Rose nodded. They looked left and right and when they were satisfied that all was clear, they took each other's hands and crept towards Jack.

When they reached the room where he was being held, they paused several feet away and ducked down behind some pipes. Jack was still chained to the wall, but they had loosened it enough so that he was able to lie on the floor while he slept.

"Oh thank God," Rose whispered. "I was afraid they were making him stand up at night too."

They looked around, but Jack was completely alone.

"Quietly, we don't want to arouse the attention of the Toclafane." He whispered to Rose. "If we wake Jack up, I'm sure we're gonna have to silence him right away. Plus, we don't know if there's a guard there and he just went off on a break. Just keep your eyes open and be ready for anything."

"Yes, Doctor."

They hesitated a moment and then made their way towards him. They paused at the chain link door, looked around again and slowly opened it. Rose winced at the tiny clink when they closed it and she looked around. She couldn't see anything so she took the Doctor's hand and walked with him. They crept up to Jack and knelt down beside him.

"Jack." Rose whispered.

"Mwah?" Jack murmured in his sleep.

"Jack, wake up."

"Wha?" Jack said loudly.

Rose and the Doctor winced and looked around them as Jack grunted and fell back to sleep. The Doctor put his hand by Jack's mouth, looked at Rose and nodded.

"Jack!" she said in a loud whisper.

"For crying out loud, I'm not trying to escape, leave me alone." Jack murmured sleepily.

The Doctor sighed angrily as Jack fell back to sleep again. He positioned his hand directly over Jack's mouth, glanced at Rose and then punched his arm. Jack's eyes flew open and the Doctor quickly clamped his hand down over his mouth.

"Mwah?" Jack said looking around in confusion. "Mwah maa maa?"

"Shhhhh!" the Doctor hissed at him.

Jack noticed him and stopped moving.

"Mwaamwaa?" he said staring at him in confusion.

The Doctor took his hand away.

"Doctor, what are you doing down here?" Jack whispered to him.

"Rose and I are bored, so we decided to go on a little nighttime reconnaissance mission." The Doctor whispered back.

"Boy, am I glad to see you." Jack said sitting up slowly.

He stared at the Doctor.

"You look like hell, Doc."

The Doctor shot Rose a look as she giggled softly.

"Gee, thanks Harkness, I needed to hear that." The Doctor whispered to him.

"Is there a guard coming back?" Rose asked.

Jack shook his head.

"No, they leave me alone at night. I think they've only got one guard for me since I see the same asshole day after day. I can't believe he just stands there and lets me be chained up like that."

"It's the Master, it's his influence." The Doctor whispered. "That's why I wanted to get the perception filter around his neck. If his hypnotic spell is broken, these people will revert back to normal."

"Do you happen to know where the perception filters are?" Jack whispered.

The Doctor shook his head.

"No, I'm sure either the Master or the Doctor has them though." He said. "We have to make do without them. But, if we work together, we can…Harkness, what the bloody hell are you doing?"

"I'm takin' a whizz, what's it look like?" Jack said reaching for the tin can.

"In front of us?" the Doctor hissed at him.

"Well, yeah, I mean normally I'm so exhausted from standing all day that I sleep through the night, but since you woke me up, I might as well relieve myself while I can. Just go ahead and talk, I'm listening."

The Doctor sighed and shook his head as Jack unzipped his fly and reached inside his pants. He looked at Rose.

"When you gotta go…" she said shrugging.

"Anyway," the Doctor said trying not to look directly at Jack while he peed in the can. "We need to set a time when all of us can stage a revolt. The Master has that laser screwdriver. If we can just get a hold of it, I can use it to fight him and the other Doctor and free us. But, it's gonna take a coordinated effort from us and Martha's family. We have to meet with them somehow and plan when to do it."

"How about this? I can act as a go between and carry messages between them and you." Rose whispered. "That way, we can plan without it looking suspicious."

"Brilliant." The Doctor said nodding. "Alright, we'll use our time together for that purpose. You can keep Martha's family and Jack informed and vice versa."

"When do we strike?" Jack asked, as he zipped up his pants and put the can aside.

"When the time is right." The Doctor said. "It can't be today or tomorrow. We have to wait and observe everything. Patience is the key here. We have to do it when the Master and Doctor's guard is down. Eventually they're gonna get sloppy and make a mistake. That's why I've been laying low and being passive, as my double calls it, so they'll ease up on the surveillance and relax. That's what you have to do too. After tonight, we keep on with business as usual. Make them think we're obeying them even as we plan. Rose, you keep on with surveillance as you clean the ship. You and the others need to be my eyes and ears while I play the part of Grandpa and keep them thinking I'm infirm and weak so they won't suspect anything. Jack, you need to figure out a way to get out of these chains."

"During the day, these chains are pulled up so my arms are stretched out, but I can pull on them and loosen the metal plates up there so that I can get free with a good hard tug."

The Doctor nodded.

"Start doing that. But be subtle about it. Don't make them think you're trying to escape."

"Yes, Doctor."

"Rose, you and the others start hiding cleaning supplies in different places. Hide chemicals behind pipes. Anything you can use to grab and throw into the guard's faces."

"I will." Rose said nodding.

"What about the kid?" Jack asked.

The Doctor looked at him.

"What kid?"

"They brought some boy down here awhile ago and took him down that way." Jack said pointing off to his right. "He was bound and gagged so I'm guessing they locked him up somewhere."

The Doctor looked at Rose.

"Do you know anything about this?"

"No, it must have happened after our work ended." She said.

The Doctor frowned as he thought.

"Was it anyone you knew?" he asked Jack.

Jack shook his head.

"Hmmm, then something else is going on here. The Master doesn't just kidnap people without a good reason."

He looked at Rose.

"See if you can find out who this kid is and why he's here. But, be careful doing it. Don't arouse suspicion."

"Yes, Doctor." Rose said.

He sighed.

"Dammit, now the Master has gone and complicated things more." He muttered to himself.

"Doctor?"

The Doctor looked at Jack.

"You heard from Martha?" he said.

Rose looked at the Doctor. He shook his head.

"No, I have no idea where she is." He said sadly. "I only hope she's alright."

"What is she doing?" Rose asked.

She put her hand on his arm.

"Doctor, I know what you said about me being safe if I didn't know, but I want to know what's going on. I'm worried about her."

"Yeah, Doc, me too. What's she doing? What did you say to her?"

The Doctor stared at both of them for a moment. He sighed knowing they wouldnt't be satisfied until they knew what was going on.

"Okay," he said. "what she is doing is part of a larger plan I have of getting out of here. I told her…"

"Doctor, the Toclafane!" Jack hissed as he pointed ahead of them.

The Doctor jerked his head around and saw a Toclafane turn the corner several feet away. He grabbed Rose and they lunged into the shadows beside Jack. They crouched down and held each other as the Toclafane paused by the door as if looking in. there was a flash of light and it disappeared. Another flash and it reappeared on the other side of the door. The Doctor held Rose protectively keeping his eye on the Toclafane as it lowered itself down to Jack.

"What are you doing?" the Toclafane said to Jack.

"I couldn't sleep, so I took a whizz and I'm sitting here daydreaming, is there a crime against that?" Jack said.

The Doctor put his hand against the side of Rose's head and held her close to him as the Toclafane floated over to the tin can and hovered above it.

"See, I pissed, happy?" Jack said to it.

The Toclafane floated up and hovered there. The Doctor and Rose held their breath as it moved forward towards their hiding place. Jack, seeing where it was headed, grabbed his chain and rattled it. The Doctor closed his eyes in relief when the Toclafane floated back towards Jack.

"Hey, I just said I was just sitting here minding my own business. I'm not causing any trouble so will ya leave me alone?" he said to it.

The Toclafane hovered in front of him for a moment and Jack tensed wondering if it was gonna fire a laser beam. Then, to his relief, the Toclafane vanished from sight.

"Geez!" Jack said putting his hand over his heart.

He looked over as the Doctor and Rose emerged from their hiding place.

"You guys better go." He said to them.

"Yes, I agree." The Doctor replied. "We need to get Rose back to bed before my double comes looking for her."

Rose crawled forward and embraced Jack.

"It's so good to see you without an obnoxious guard around." He said hugging her tight.

He looked at the Doctor.

"And it's really good to see you." He said embracing him.

"You too, Jack." He said. "I'm glad you're alright."

He smiled at the Doctor and Rose as they stood and took each other's hands.

"Take care, guys." He said.

They looked back at him and nodded. Then, they slowly went out the door and closed it behind them.

Jack sat and watched as they made their way back to their beds, feeling hopeful for the first time in a long time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor paused with Rose outside his double's bedroom door. He made Rose lead him there so he could see where he slept and protect her if he was awake. They stood there a moment and then walked in front of the door. The Doctor held Rose protectively as he pushed the button and the door slid open. They tensed and looked around the darkened room. They relaxed when they heard the alternate Doctor snoring softly. The Doctor stared at his double's bare chest and he felt rage rising within him. He resisted the urge to do something nasty to him and instead guided Rose over to her side of the bed. He slowly pulled back the covers and kept his eyes on his double as Rose got in. Once she was in and settled, the Doctor lowered his face to hers and gave her a kiss. He laid his head on her forehead as he squeezed her hand. He hated doing this. It killed him making her go back to him, but he had no choice. They had to keep up appearances until it was safe to make a move. He leaned his head back up and stared down at her eyes. He saw the love and trust reflected in them and smiled as he stroked her hair. No matter what happened, he would always have her love and that was more than enough to see him through. He gave her a soft kiss on the forehead.

_I love you._ He thought to her.

_I love you too, Doctor._

He smiled. Reluctantly, he pulled away from her wanting to get back before he was discovered.

_I'll see you in a few hours for our morning routine._ He thought to her.

_I'll be there._

The Doctor took one last look at her and then quietly crept back out the door and closed it behind him.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

(Two Months Later…)

The Doctor sat quietly in front of his tent waiting for the moment Rose would come in for her lunch break. Since that night two months ago, she had been bringing him constant information about the goings on of the ship and its crew. Thanks to his faithful companion, he was learning tons of little tidbits right under the nose of his adversaries.

His double and the Master continued to mock him daily. The Doctor bit his tongue and kept his rage in check. His time with Rose was more important than ever and he would do nothing to jeopardize it. So, he quietly bore the abuse they heaped on him knowing that one day the tables would be turned.

If his double had any idea that Rose had snuck out, he showed no sign of it. He just continued to gloat about sleeping with her as if he even had a chance. The Doctor actually was amused by it now. The big, bad Time Lord wanting everyone to know how great he was when the Doctor knew he was just a patsy for the Master. He mentally shrugged. He tried to be nice and warn him, he couldn't help what people did with his advice.

It took awhile but they finally heard some news about Martha. Rose happened to be passing by the Master's office and overheard him and the alternate Doctor discussing her. She listened at the door and quickly relayed the information to the Doctor. She was last seen heading towards South Africa. After that, the Doctor had been forced to reveal what he was doing to her. Rose was overjoyed and hoped with him that his plan would succeed. He let her tell Jack about his plan, but the Doctor forbid her telling it to the others. He didn't want too many people knowing their plans. He trusted Rose and Jack completely, but Martha's family he wasn't so sure about, especially since Francine had tried to have him arrested. So, Martha's family remained ignorant of what was really going on.

Despite that, he decided to use Tish as an unwitting participant in the next phase of his plan. He had told Martha to tell anyone who asked her mission to say that she was traveling the world trying to find the pieces of a gun that could kill a Time Lord. It was a lie, of course, he would never ask Martha or Rose to kill anyone, but he needed to throw people off the scent just in case someone she met was working for the Master. He had no idea if the Master or the alternate Doctor had heard anything about this, but, he wanted to make sure they knew all about it so that they would take some kind of action. He wanted Martha to return to the Valiant at the exact time he had specified and in order to do that, he had to take a leaf from the Master's book and play his own little game of chess.

So, he used Rose's friendship with Tish to spread the word. He told Rose to wait until a Toclafane was near them and then casually tell Tish that she finally had figured out where Martha was and what she was doing. Rose did just that. She then snuck away when no one was looking and listened at the Master's office door and with great joy, reported to him later that his enemies had taken the bait. The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that so far everything was going according to plan. If it all worked smoothly, he would be back to normal and able to stop the Master and alternate Doctor in a few months.

That was the one thing he hated telling Rose. That it would be months instead of days until they were free. The anguish he felt when he saw the sadness in her eyes at hearing that made him wish he had chosen a different date. But, it was tricky linking his mind with the Archangel Network and he wanted to be sure he had enough time to tune into all of them to get the maximum effect, plus Martha needed time to talk to everyone and spread his instructions. He had calculated it would take a year in which to do it, so that was when he told Martha she had to return. He calmed Rose's fears, assuring her that they would be able to hold up until that day. That all of them were strong enough to endure whatever the Master and the alternate Doctor threw at them. Rose accepted the date without question, but he knew she was upset that she would have to sleep with the alternate Doctor for another 8 months and he couldn't blame her one bit. It wasn't easy on him watching her go back to him every night, but he knew in the end it would all pay off when the trap was sprung and they would defeat the Master and the alternate Doctor at last.

He looked over and smiled when the door slid open and Rose entered carrying her brown paper bag.

"I swear if I eat one more peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I'm gonna go nuts." She said sitting down beside him.

"What? You don't like peanut butter and jelly?" the Doctor asked.

"Not every day for four bloody months straight." She said as the Doctor snickered. "And bleedin' gruel for supper."

"Oh, my poor Rose, I'm so sorry they are tormenting you beyond endurance with their crappy food." The Doctor said rubbing her back. "Tell you what, when we win, I'll let you force-feed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and gruel to the Doctor and the Master."

"You promise?"

The Doctor's eyes widened when Rose said that a little too forcefully. He gave her an amused grin and nodded with a twinkle in his eyes.

"I promise. We'll shove sandwiches and gruel down their throats until they explode." He said to her.

"Yippee! I feel better already!" Rose said.

The Doctor snuggled close to her and chuckled as she rolled her eyes and bit into the sandwich. She gave him a sip from her juice box and a crisp and they talked softly about her latest findings.

As they ate and talked, the door suddenly slid open and they shut up immediately when the alternate Doctor strolled in carrying a brown paper bag in his hand.

"Aw, are you having lunch together? How sweet." The alternate Doctor said walking up to them.

"What do you want?" the Doctor said.

"Well, I was down visiting the planet and seeing the sights. Those Toclafane really did a number on London, let me tell you. It looks like a war zone."

He paused.

"Maybe that's because it is a war zone?"

He snickered as Rose and the Doctor gave each other a look.

"Anyhow, I was down there looking through the shops and I found something that I think you'll like. It seemed the perfect fit for you."

"Oh goody, I can hardly wait to see what it is." The Doctor muttered.

The alternate Doctor reached into the bag. He paused a moment with a huge grin on his face.

"Let me guess, it's nappies for my poopy butt." The Doctor said to him.

"No, but that's a good idea. I need to get that next time I go down." He said as the Doctor sighed and glanced at Rose.

He paused a moment more and then brought his hand back out.

"TA-DA!" He said.

The Doctor sighed angrily when he saw his "gift". It was a lemon yellow dog dish with the word DOG written on the front in big bold lettering.

"Yeah, that's really hilarious. Pardon me if I don't laugh." The Doctor said to him.

"Oh, it's not a joke. You're gonna use it." The alternate Doctor said.

The Doctor and Rose stared at him.

"Oh yeah, got the dog food and everything."

He sat the bowl on the table, reached inside the bag and brought up a can of dog food. Rose gripped the Doctor's arm as he showed it to them. He sat it down, reached into the bag and brought out a can opener.

"No." Rose said. "Please, don't do this."

The alternate Doctor ignored her as he opened the can in front of them. He turned the can upside down over the bowl and shook it until a liquid brown gunk plopped down into it.

"No, no." Rose whispered as the Doctor took her hand and squeezed it tightly.

"Dinnertime, Gramps." The alternate Doctor said putting the bowl at his feet.

The Doctor glanced over at Rose and held her closer when he noticed the tears in her eyes.

"Come on, old man, I didn't buy all this stuff for nothing. You are gonna eat every last bit of it or Rose dies."

He threw the empty can and can opener back in the bag.

"Just in case you had any ideas about using these for weapons." He said to him.

He pointed down to the bowl.

"Eat!" he commanded.

Rose gripped his arm when the Doctor went to pick up the dish.

"No, please." She begged.

"I have to, Rose." He said gently.

_For the sake of our plan._ He thought to her.

Rose reluctantly let go of his arm. She sobbed softly when he reached over and started to pick up the bowl.

"No."

The Doctor looked up at his double who was shaking his head.

"Bowl stays on the floor, you eat like the dog that you are." He said.

"You bastard!" Rose screamed at him.

The Doctor looked back at Rose and gave her a wink and a smile. Rose watched, anguished, as he bent over and took a bite of the dog food.

"That's it, gramps, eat every last bite of it!" he said.

Rose wept softly while she watched the Doctor submit to this humiliation. He forced himself to eat the disgusting food knowing that it was a necessary sacrifice to protect Rose and his plan.

_I've eaten worse._ he thought to himself as he swallowed.

His hearts ached listening to Rose's anguish. He vowed his double would pay and pay dearly for this as he continued to eat.

Suddenly, the alternate Doctor shoved his foot on top of the Doctor's head and pushed his head into the food.

"Get in there and get a big mouthful!" he yelled with delight.

Rose screamed curses at him as the Doctor jerked his head up and sputtered. The alternate Doctor roared with laughter as the Doctor wiped the dog food off his face.

"Oh man, you should see yourself, Gramps, you look hilarious!" he said pointing to him.

He finished laughing and picked the bag back up.

"Well, gotta get back to work. I just needed a bit of lunchtime entertainment. Be sure to eat all of that so you can get your dessert."

He roared with laughter as the Doctor shot him a murderous glance. Rose crawled to him and he held her as she wept in his arms and watched the alternate Doctor walk back out the door whistling cheerfully.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

(One month later…)

The Doctor sighed and crawled back into his tent. Lunchtime had passed with no sign of Rose. Ever since the alternate Doctor had forced her to watch him eat the dog food, she had been coming less and less. The Doctor knew why. Seeing him humiliated like that and knowing that it would be months before they would leave caused Rose to plummet into the depths of despair. The Doctor tried everything he could think of to keep her hope alive, held her and kissed her, begged her to hold on and stay strong, that the months would pass by quickly and soon they would be free, but his efforts were proving futile. She still came every morning to be with him, but there was barely any talking between them. It killed him to see the light slowly fade from her eyes to be replaced with a dull lifeless look. He cursed the day he decided to tell her his plan. It was because of him that she was losing her will to carry on. He would never forgive himself if she didn't fully recover from this.

Of course, that was exactly what his double had planned on. He wanted to kill her spirit so she wouldn't think of escaping any more. He knew if he kept the torment up, eventually she would give up and become a mindless drone. He knew that their connection was one of the things preventing her from fully becoming his and he wanted to sever it any way that he could. She was reluctant to see him now because she was scared she might witness a repeat of what she had seen that day or maybe something even worse. For the first time since he had fallen in love with Rose and had given his hearts to her, he feared losing her to another and that scared him more than anything the Master or the alternate Doctor could do to him. Even though it wasn't time yet, they had to do something to fight back. He had to try before Rose gave up completely. But, in order to do that, he had to see her and since she was not coming to him, he'd have to go to her. It was risky doing it during the day, but he no longer cared, he would rather face whatever punishment his adversaries would give him than see Rose submit completely to depression and enslavement.

So, gathering his strength, he walked towards the door, opened it and looked out. Seeing no one around, he hurried down into the depths of the ship hoping that he would be able to find Rose before someone found him.

He found Tish first; she was down on her hands and knees scrubbing the floor. The Doctor stood in the shadows and shook his head, mentally beating himself up. It was all his fault. If he hadn't been so reckless that day, none of this would have happened. He shook that thought from his head, now was not the time for self pity. He crept along the shadows until he reached Tish's side.

"Tish!" he said in a loud whisper.

Tish jerked her head up and her eyes widened when the Doctor stepped out of the shadows.

"Doctor? What are you doing down here?" she asked.

"I have to see Rose. Where is she?" he whispered.

"She's in another corridor."

"Can you take me to her? It's important."

Tish looked around her.

"Well, yeah, but isn't it dangerous for you to be down here?" she asked him.

"I don't care about that right now. I have to talk to Rose." He said.

Tish nodded and put the scrub brush back in her bucket.

"She told me what happened with the other Doctor and the dog dish." She said getting to her feet. "She hasn't been the same since."

"I know. That's why I have to see her. I can't let her lose hope." The Doctor whispered.

Tish nodded.

"Follow me." She said looking around her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tish looked around the corner and saw Rose down on her hands and knees scrubbing the floor. Up ahead of her, a guard stood watch, his semi-automatic rifle at his side as he scanned his surroundings with a bored look.

"Wait here." Tish whispered to the Doctor behind her. "There's a guard at the end of the hallway. I'll bring her to you."

The Doctor nodded.

"Be careful." He said.

"I will."

She turned the corner and the guard instantly focused his gaze on her. She walked over to Rose as the guard went back to his watch.

"Rose." Tish whispered kneeling down to her.

Rose looked at her.

"Tish, what's wrong?" she asked.

"I need you to come with me for a moment. It's important."

Rose frowned and put her scrub brush back in her bucket. She brushed herself off as she stood up. Tish looked over at the guard who was watching them intently.

"I need her help for a minute." She explained for him. "I have some chemicals that need mixing."

The guard settled back into his impassive stance as Tish led her away.

"You do?" Rose said confused.

"Nah, that's just what I told him so he wouldn't question you walking away with me." Tish replied.

"Then what's going on?"

"You'll see."

They turned the corner. Rose gasped when the Doctor emerged from the shadows.

"No." she said.

"Shhhh, Rose, it's alright." He said embracing her tightly.

He smiled his thanks at Tish.

"I'll see you later, Rose." Tish whispered as she walked away.

"You missed our little lunchtime meeting. I guess you must be really busy." The Doctor whispered to her.

"Doctor, please, you can't do this. If they find out, they'll hurt you again."

The Doctor held her tightly.

"I'll risk it." He said. "I just want to hold you in my arms and feel you against me."

He kissed her temple.

"Please, Rose, you can't do this to me. Don't stop coming to see me. I can't stand it." He whispered.

He closed his eyes and lowered his head into her hair as Rose sobbed quietly.

"I…I'm just afraid of him doing something to you again."

He kissed her.

"I know that. But that's what he wants. He wants to tear us apart so we won't be able to support one another. He wants you for himself. He wants you to lose hope so you won't object when he finally does take you. I can't bear that, Rose. I can't bear losing you. Please, I need you, my angel. Don't do this to me."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I don't mean to hurt you, Doctor. I never want to hurt you."

"Shhhh, shh, shh, it's alright." He said softly. "I understand. I do. I know how hard it is to wait and that's why I want to try something."

"No, you can't. Please, I'll start coming again. Just don't make them angry." Rose begged.

The Doctor smiled.

"I've already made them angry by trying to ruin their plans for world domination. I don't think It'll matter if I make them angrier." He said.

"No, Doctor, don't. You're right. The plan is too important to risk us doing something stupid. I believe in you. I do. You know I do. It's just hard looking at the seven months that are left and knowing that we have to be their prisoners for that long and…it just seems like our freedom will never come."

"I know, Rose, but look at it this way. We've gotten through five months with our sanity intact." He whispered. "We can make it the rest of the way. We've been through so much together. I am so proud of you, I can hardly stand it. You calmly face things that would make most people pass out with fear. I know how terrible it was to watch me eat that dog food, but I got over it and you can too. I'm not making light of what they did or your feelings about it. I would never do that to you. But if you think about it, that was nothing compared to some of the stuff I've been through. The dog food was absolutely disgusting and I'm seriously thinking of writing a stern letter to the dog food company after we get out of here telling them they should make something better for those poor dogs, but it did me no harm in the end. My system was able to handle it better than a human would and I didn't get sick. It's just one more thing that stupid git did to make everyone think he was better than me. He pulls all these stunts because deep down inside he knows who the better Doctor is and if he degrades and humiliates me, it makes him feel a bit more superior. His time is coming, Rose, trust me. They are not gonna get away with this. All I ask is you believe in that and hold on to your faith and hope. It's your greatest weapon against them right now. If they kill your spirit, then they can own you body and soul. You are better than that, Rosebud. You are stronger than they are. Remember that every time they taunt you and try to make you feel inferior. Because you aren't, not by a long shot."

Rose smiled and nodded. She threw her arms around the Doctor and hugged him tightly.

"How come you always know just what to say to make me feel better?" she said to him.

"I'm brilliant." The Doctor said grinning. "I keep telling you that, but it just doesn't sink in."

The Doctor's hearts soared when he heard Rose laugh for the first time in a month. The sound was music to his ears and he sighed with relief when he saw a flicker of light returning to Rose's dead eyes. If he were caught after all this, it would be worth every minute of torture.

"Well, I better get back." He said to her. "I just wanted to come down here and give you a stern lecture about missing our lunch. I need my daily peanut butter and jelly sandwich, dammit!"

He giggled with Rose and she rolled her eyes.

"Oh yeah, I know how much you love eating them." She said.

His eyes twinkled.

"Um, well, given the choice between dog food and peanut butter…"

"Yeah, you have a point there." Rose said.

She gave him a hug.

"Do you want me to go back with you?" she asked.

"No, you better get back to work. That guard might start to get suspicious if you're gone too long and go looking for you or go tell the idiots in charge. I'll be alright." He said hugging her tightly.

He leaned up and smiled at her.

"You will come tonight to tuck me in, won't you?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Good."

He ran his hand down her cheek.

"Don't despair any more, Rose, our day is coming and it'll be here sooner than you think." He whispered to her.

"I can't wait." She whispered back.

"Neither can I!"

They kissed and hugged each other tightly one more time before they pulled away. The Doctor squeezed her hand and winked at her before she walked back around the corner to resume her work. He stood for a moment smiling to himself, happy that he had taken the initiative to come find her. He looked around him and sank back into the shadows as he made his way slowly back to the conference room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The conference room door slid open and the Doctor froze in the doorway. On the other side of the room, the Master and the alternate Doctor stood and stared at him angrily.

"Take a little walk, did you, Grandpa?" the Master said.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

Rose put her bucket in the supply closet. It was the end of another long day for her and everyone else. As she sat the bucket down, she paused and grabbed a small bottle of bleach. She closed the door, hurried back down the corridor and sat it out of sight behind some pipes. Glancing around to make sure no one saw her, she stood up and walked back the other way eager to be with the Doctor.

She knew something was wrong as soon as she stepped inside the conference room and saw a guard standing beside the door. Her throat tightened when she didn't see the Doctor anywhere. She looked at the guard.

"Where is he?" she demanded.

The guard stared at her with a blank look.

"The Doctor, where is he?" she said, angrily.

The guard pointed to the tarp. Rose headed towards it as the guard lowered his arm and resumed his rigid posture.

"Doctor, it's me. I'm here." She said.

She swallowed hard and her heart raced when there was no response. She bent down next to the tarp.

"Doctor?" she said hesitantly as she pulled back the flap.

She gasped and tears came to her eyes when she saw the Doctor lying inside, unconscious. His face was bruised and bloodied and his breathing was shallow.

"No, oh God, no." Rose whispered.

"It was his fault."

Rose gasped when she turned and the alternate Doctor was standing behind her.

"You monster!" Rose screamed, lunging at him.

He grabbed her wrists and shoved her onto the table. Snarling, he climbed on top of her.

"We gave you and your lover too much freedom!" he said. "That ends now!"

"No, please, it was my fault. I was the one who asked him to come to me. Please don't do this to us."

"I gave you chance after chance, but you both just laughed in my face and did what you wanted to anyway. Now, there will be no more mercy." He said. "After all we did to the old man, he'll be lucky to get through the night without losing a life."

He grabbed her wrists in one hand and put them up above her head while he reached up under her maid's uniform.

"I always loved you in this outfit, Rose. You look so sexy in it." He said leering at her.

Rose tried to wiggle out from under him. She gasped when he clamped his knees around her hips. Grinning, he pulled the silver box out of his pocket.

"Oh God, no." Rose said staring at it in horror.

"Sorry, Rose, I've run out of patience. The chip goes on and this time it stays on. So, say bye bye to the Doctor, because when I push the button, you won't love him anymore."

"No, don't do that to him. We won't do anything else, I promise. Ple..."

Rose was cut off mid-sentence and her eyes went blank when the alternate Doctor pushed the button.

"You were saying, Rose?" he said putting the box back in his jacket pocket.

There was a pause and then a smile spread over Rose's face.

"Oh my love, I want you so much." Rose said. "Make love to me."

The alternate Doctor smiled at her. He bent down and began to kiss her passionately as he reached back under her dress and began to pull her knickers down.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Martha sat by herself staring up at the moonlit South African sky. It was clear now, but she could see storm clouds forming on the horizon. She had just gotten through talking to another group of people and had wandered outside to rest. The cool night air was a welcome respite from the heat of the day and Martha took the time to give herself a much needed break. She had done so much in five months, traveled so far. She had now finished up Europe, Russia, the Middle East and all of Africa. Next Stop, India and then on to China and Japan. The fact that she had accomplished so much in so little time boggled her mind. She was glad that she had the vortex manipulator with her. She had managed to finally get the hang of it and with the help of a little pocket atlas she found in an abandoned house, she was able to program coordinates into it and get where she needed to go. She never would have been able to do her job without it. It was a godsend, even if jumping from place to place still gave her a headache.

Once or twice she considered teleporting back into the Valiant to check up on the Doctor. She missed him so much. She missed everyone. Mum, Dad, Tish, Jack, Rose. She hoped all of them were alright. She knew that the Doctor and Rose had a mental connection because of the Bad Wolf. She had watched them talk to each other telepathically in the past and now she found herself wishing she could do the same thing. Not knowing how her friends were doing was the hardest part of the mission.

She glanced up when a lightning bolt struck the ground in the distance. She figured about another twenty minutes or so and the storm would be over her head. Until, then she was content to sit and catch the cool breeze that was now picking up with the approaching storm.

She relaxed her body and put her arms around her knees as she watched the lighting bolts. She saw something moving out of the corner of her eye and knew it was a Toclafane scout, but she took no real notice of it. The perception filter hid her from it, so she was able to keep calm and just enjoy her surroundings.

The Toclafane flew out in front of her and she watched it, bored, as it hovered in front of her. Its attention was drawn to a leopard stalking something in the distance and it flew over to have a closer look at it. Martha snorted as the Toclafane took a shot at it and the leopard sprinted for cover.

"Just can't leave anyone alone, can ya?" she muttered to herself.

The wind began to whip around her and she pulled her jacket on over her body. She rose to go back inside when she felt the first drops of rain hit her forehead. The clouds quickly rolled in, obscuring the moon and hiding the Toclafane in the darkness. She zipped her jacket up and turned to go when suddenly a lightning bolt hit the ground near her. She gasped and fell backwards blinking her eyes when the light from the bolt temporarily blinded her.

"Martha!" Doctor Alex Barraclough said as he sprinted out of his house and ran to her side. "My God, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Martha muttered as Alex helped her to her feet.

"Come on, get inside the house before another lightning bolt hits." He said guiding her inside.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The following morning, Martha stepped outside the house. It had been a fierce thunderstorm and she was glad that she had shelter from it. She walked out onto the damp grass and looked around. The buildings had been spared the storm's wrath. She was thankful of that since many of them bore evidence of Toclafane attack. She walked over to the spot she had sat on the previous night and looked out at a herd of zebras grazing in the distance.

Then, something caught her eye. She stared at the sparkling object in confusion for a moment before walking out towards it. As she neared it, her breath caught in her throat when she realized what it was. She slowed her gait, inching nervously towards the Toclafane lying on the ground. It was the same one that had chased away the leopard earlier and now it was just laying there on the ground, not moving. Martha's heart raced. So far the Toclafane had proved invulnerable. She had watched several people try to shoot them down only to have the bullets bounce off the balls harmlessly. Had nature provided a solution to the problem of how to stop them?

Slowly, she crept up to it, not wanting to draw attention to herself in case the Toclafane was merely stunned. She stood staring at it for a moment and when it didn't move, she tentatively reached down and poked it with a finger. Nothing happened. Emboldened, Martha put her hand on it and rolled it. The Toclafane rolled several inches and stopped. She laughed with joy when it didn't make a move on its own.

"Oh yes, at last!" she said.

Turning, she sprinted towards the professor's house hoping that at last they would be able to figure out who the Toclafane were and how to stop them.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

(Two Months later…)

The Doctor sat on the steps in the conference room utterly dejected. He had managed to survive the torment he was put through without regenerating. But, Rose had disappeared and no one would tell him where she was or what was happening to her. His pleas to the Master and the alternate Doctor only resulted in mocking laughter and taunts and he quickly learned that he would never get anything out of them. There were now two guards posted by the door during the day and one guard at night which meant he couldn't get out and no one could get in except the Master or the alternate Doctor. He was effectively cut off from the rest of the ship and he had no idea if his love or his friends were dead or alive. All he could do was sit and hope that his plan would still work.

He looked down at his hands while he thought of Rose. He had tried numerous times to contact her mentally but got no response which left two possibilities. She was imprisoned in his double's TARDIS which could block his telepathy or…

He closed his eyes in anguish thinking of her enslaved by the chip. He knew his double well enough to know he was taking full advantage of her compliance and it pained him knowing he had an opportunity to take it out when they first got back to the TARDIS after escaping the Artaxis. Guilt flooded his mind and for a moment, he wished he had died that night. It would have been preferable to the hell he found himself in now. He quickly shook that thought away. He couldn't die now. Like it or not, he was needed. The Earth needed him even if his friends and his beloved were now dead and beyond his help. He sighed. At least Jack was still alive, unless they figured out a way to kill him too. Not knowing if they were alive or dead tormented him even when the Master or alternate Doctor weren't around. This, he knew, was all part of their plan.

As he continued to stare down at his hands, he heard the door open.

"State your business." He heard one of the guards say.

"I wish to speak to the Doctor."

He jerked his head up and looked over at Lucy Saxon. What was she doing here? He had barely seen her since the day the Toclafane invaded. And now she wanted to speak with him? Intrigued, he watched as the guard let her by and she walked over to him. He remained quiet waiting for her to talk. As he stared at her face, he noticed that she seemed more lucid than normal and a tiny bit of hope swelled in his hearts.

"Doctor." She said.

"Yes." He said hesitantly.

Lucy looked back at the guards and walked closer to him.

"Rose is alive." She whispered.

The Doctor's hearts nearly beat out of his chest. He had half a mind to kiss Lucy Saxon for saying that if he didn't think the guards would shoot him. He calmed himself and thought carefully before he spoke. If she was breaking free of the Master's control…

"Where is she?" he asked quietly.

"She's with the other Doctor."

"Has he hurt her?"

Lucy shook her head.

"She has the chip on though. He doesn't turn it off."

The Doctor closed his eyes. He had figured that, but just hearing confirmation filled him with anguish. He opened his eyes.

"Can you bring me to her?" he asked her.

Lucy glanced around nervously. The Doctor took her hand and Lucy looked back at him.

"Lucy, help me." He said. "Let me see her."

"My husband…"

"I can protect you from him if you let me. Please, I have to see her."

"She won't respond to you."

"I know that. But, I want to make sure she's alright." The Doctor said.

He paused and swallowed hard.

"Has he…"

He took a deep breath.

"Has he had sex with her?"

Lucy nodded and the Doctor put his head in his hands wishing he could just die then and there. He had failed her. The woman he loved. How could she ever forgive him for this? He was sure once she regained her mind that she would leave him forever. With great force of will, he lifted his head and looked at Lucy.

"Take me to her, please." He said in a choked voice.

Lucy glanced around.

"Lucy, please, help me. I can save us all. But, I need you to help me. You must not agree with what's happened if you're in here talking to me. Let me see Rose."

"What good will that do?" Lucy asked.

The Doctor thought for a moment.

"Does the Valiant have a med bay of some sort?"

She frowned in confusion.

"Where you take people when they are hurt." He clarified.

"Oh, yes."

"Does it have an operating table?"

Lucy nodded.

The Doctor could barely contain himself. If he could get Rose in there and get her sedated, get the chip out of her head.

"Can you lead me to Rose and guide me there once I have her?"

"Why?"

"Because I want that chip out of her head. I can take it out and free her, I just need time. Please, I need you to do that for me and distract your husband and the other Doctor long enough for me to do it. Can you do that?"

"I…I don't know if I can."

The Doctor grabbed her hands.

"Please, I'm begging you, help me." He said.

Lucy glanced around nervously.

"I gotta go."

"Lucy!"

"I can't. I can't stay. He'll wonder where I am. I'm sorry, Doctor. I'm sorry."

"No!" he hissed as Lucy turned and hurried out of the room.

The Doctor lowered his head in his hands and began to sob quietly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Master and alternate Doctor looked up when the door slid open and Lucy walked into the room.

"Oh, there you are, darling." The Master said. "Where'd you go?"

"I just went for a walk. I was bored." She replied.

"Hmmm, personally I'd think a walk around here would make someone even more bored, but to each his own, I guess. "He said as the alternate Doctor shrugged. "Anyway, what were you saying?"

"Well,"

The alternate Doctor leaned in close and conferred with the Master. Lucy went and sat over on the couch. As she did, she noticed that the alternate Doctor's jacket was slung over the arm of the couch. She stared at the pocket. She knew that he kept the box that controlled the chip in that pocket. If she could just get at it… she glanced over at her husband and the alternate Doctor. Their heads were lowered and they were whispering to one another. Lucy looked back at the pocket. Keeping her eyes on the Master and alternate Doctor, she reached her hand inside the pocket, grabbed the box and quickly put it in the pocket of her jacket before they had a chance to notice. As calmly as she could, she stood up and forced a smile onto her face.

"I'm going to go for another walk." She said.

The Master glanced at her.

"Bored again?" he asked.

"Yes, I am."

"Well, have a good time then."

He leaned back in. As he and the alternate Doctor talked quietly, Lucy walked over to the door, walked out and hurried to the alternate Doctor's bedroom.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty Seven

The alternate Doctor's bedroom door slid open and Lucy crept inside. Rose was lying on the bed. She looked up at her quizzically.

"Yes?" Rose said.

"I'm here to free you, Rose."

Rose frowned.

"But I am free." She said. "What are you talking about?"

Lucy reached into her pocket and brought out the box.

"What's that?" Rose asked pointing to it. "What are you doing? Where is my lord?"

She started to scream when Lucy pressed the button. Rose blinked, shook her head and looked around the room. She looked at Lucy.

"What's going on?" Rose said to her.

She smiled.

"I just turned off the chip in your head."

"How long has it been on?"

"About two months."

Rose's eyes widened.

"The Doctor!" she said leaping out of the bed. "The Doctor, where is he?"

"He's fine, Rose, he's still in the conference room."

"Is he alright?"

Lucy nodded.

"Oh God, please take me to him. Let me see him. He must be so worried."

"I can't take you to him, Rose. There are two guards in the room. They'd grab you on sight."

"I don't care about them. I'll fight them both to get to the Doctor."

"No, just wait here. I'll bring the Doctor to you." Lucy said.

Rose hesitated a moment wondering if this was all a big joke thought up by the Master and alternate Doctor to torment her more. But, looking at Lucy, she could see that she didn't have the same glazed look on her face that she usually had and she sensed that she was being sincere. Rose nodded.

"Okay, I'll be right here then." She said.

Lucy smiled.

"I'll be right back."

She turned to leave.

"Wait, what if the other Doctor comes back and sees I'm not hypnotized? He'll turn the chip back on."

"No, he won't." Lucy said, taking the box out of her pocket and showing it to her.

Rose breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.

"Besides, he's in the conference right now with my husband. I doubt he's going to be back for awhile."

"Just please hurry." Rose said.

Lucy nodded. She hurried back out the door.

"Thank you, God." Rose murmured as the door closed.

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The Doctor looked up when the door opened and Lucy came into the room. His hearts filled with renewed hope when she turned to the guards.

"My husband has requested that the Doctor be brought to him." She said. "I am here to take him to his office."

The guards looked at each other.

"Why didn't Mister Saxon come himself?" one of them asked.

"My husband is busy at the moment. He has a world to run and he can't stop for every little thing. I have nothing to do at the moment, so I agreed to come get him. Now are you going to let me take him out of the room or will I have to report you to my husband?"

"He can leave." The guard said.

"Thank you."

She walked over to the Doctor.

"Lucy."

"Shhh, just follow me, I'll take you to Rose." She whispered.

The Doctor stared at her.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked.

She looked back at the guards.

"I got to know Rose. My husband allowed me to talk to her and I like her. She's a very sweet girl. I hate what is happening to her and to you and I want it stopped. Now just follow me and I'll take you to her."

The Doctor nodded and started to stand up.

"Wait." Lucy said.

She reached into her pocket. The Doctor's hearts soared when he saw what she had in her hand. He fought the tears that threatened to flow from his eyes when Lucy handed the box to him.

"I think you probably want to hang on to this." She said.

The Doctor closed his eyes and silently thanked Rassilon for this small act of mercy. At last, he had the hated box in his possession. His Rose would no longer be brainwashed and controlled by his double. For the first time in a long time, a ray of light appeared to penetrate the darkness surrounding him.

"Thank you." He said, putting the box in his jacket pocket.

"Now, follow me." She said.

The Doctor nodded and slowly stood up.

He kept his eyes on the guards as he followed Lucy out. He half expected them to grab him and snatch the box away, but they did nothing. Heartened by this, the Doctor followed Lucy out the door.

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The door slid open and Rose looked over as Lucy stepped into the room. Her eyes brimmed with tears when the Doctor followed her in and she leapt from the bed eager to embrace him. Lucy stepped aside as Rose flew into the Doctor's arms and they closed around her. The Doctor rained kisses on her face as tears streamed down his cheeks.

"Rose, oh Rose." He said. "It feels so good to hold you again."

Rose grabbed his lapel and buried her face in his chest weeping as the familiar smell of her Doctor flowed into her nostrils. The Doctor kissed her head and rubbed her back.

She looked up at him and rejoiced knowing that he had not regenerated. His face held a couple of scars from the beating he took, but other than that there was no damage. She ran her hand down his cheek.

"I saw you in the tent and I thought you were going to die. Oh, Doctor, I can't believe you're here. I'm so glad you're alright." She said.

The Doctor smiled and nuzzled her forehead. He leaned back up.

"Guess what I have?" he said.

He grinned and reached into his pocket. Rose gasped and wept with joy when she saw the silver box in his hands.

"And you better believe it when I say this thing is getting destroyed as soon as possible." He said.

She embraced him and he held her tightly. He leaned back and ran his hand down her cheek.

"That's not all. There's a med bay on board the ship and Lucy is gonna take us to it. I'm gonna get that chip out of your head once and for all."

Rose didn't think she could smile any wider. The Doctor took her hand and he put the box back in his pocket.

"Now come on, before anyone tries to stop us." He said.

"Oh God, just let anyone try." Rose said.

The Doctor smiled and nodded. They turned and looked at Lucy.

"Follow me." She said to them.

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"Just sit on the table, Rose, I'll do the rest." The Doctor said as they entered the med bay.

He looked at Lucy.

"Thank you." He said.

Lucy nodded.

"Just hurry. I'll keep an eye on my husband and the other Doctor and try to distract them if they come towards the conference room."

The Doctor nodded. She left the room and he turned towards the task at hand. He opened several drawers and cabinets and began to arrange the surgical equipment he needed on a small cart.

"Doctor, why did she help us?" Rose asked. "Isn't she hypnotized like everyone else?"

"Yes, but she's a bit different." The Doctor said as he finished gathering the equipment and wheeled it over to the table. "She's not as deeply hypnotized as all the others are. I think the Master really does have feelings for her, so he hypnotized her enough to comply, but not enough that it would turn her into a complete drone. It's very low-level hypnosis, kinda like what he did with the Archangel Network. She has some freedom of mind so that the Master won't be married to a zombie, but not enough to disobey him. Until now, I guess, I think Lucy is a lot stronger mentally than the Master gives her credit for. I think that's why there are times when she looks zoned out and other times when she seems lucid. I think she was constantly fighting against his influence and she seems to have succeeded."

He helped Rose lay back on the bed.

"Lucky for us, eh?" he said winking.

"Very lucky for us."

He gave her a kiss.

"Lie still and let the chloroform take effect." He said pouring a little out on a washcloth. "Nothing will happen to you while you're under. I won't let anyone hurt you. I'll protect you with my life and all the remaining ones after that."

"I know, Doctor. I trust you completely."

The Doctor smiled at her. He sat the bottle of chloroform back down on the table and pressed the washcloth to her face.

"Breathe deeply." He said.

He stroked her cheek as he watched Rose's eyelids flutter and finally close. He took the washcloth away from her face and set it aside. He turned her head onto her right side and ran his finger down the scar behind her ear.

"At last, I can get this out of you," he muttered. "And I'll kill anyone who tries to do it to you again."


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief as he snipped the last bit of thread holding the chip to his lover's brain. Grabbing the tweezers, he reached inside and grabbed it. Barely able to contain his joy, he brought it out of her head and stared at it for a moment. He glanced over at the beaker of sulfuric acid on the tray and with a grin dropped the chip into it. He reached into his pocket, brought out the box and dropped it in. He stood for a moment watching with satisfaction knowing the acid was destroying the circuits in the chip and the box rendering them both useless.

He picked up a small needle and thread and turned back to Rose. He ran his hand down her cheek smiling at the peaceful look on her face. It had been a long time since he had seen her like that and it warmed his hearts knowing that she would no longer be tormented by his double's mind control. He swallowed hard thinking of what he had done to her when she was in his thrall. He dreaded telling her, terrified that she would hate him for not protecting her. A part of him knew this was nonsense. She loved him completely. Rationally he knew that she knew it wasn't his fault, but still, there was that old fear of loss in the back of his mind. He had people walk away from him before; he held no illusions that it couldn't happen again. He shook his head. He couldn't think of that now. He would cross that bridge when he came to it, at the moment he had to close the incision so that Rose could wake up and they could figure out some way to get away from the ship before something else happened to them.

He took the needle and thread and began to close up the hole.

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The Master looked up when Lucy entered her office. She froze when she saw that the alternate Doctor wasn't in there with him.

"Enjoy your walk?" he asked her.

Lucy forced a smile onto her face and nodded as she walked over to the couch and sat down.

"Where is the Doctor?" she asked as casually as she could.

"Oh, I think he went to the conference room to see the other Doctor. Give him more hell, I expect." He said, glancing through some papers.

Lucy's blood ran cold. She tried to sit still while the Master sighed and put his head in his hand.

"Signing execution orders are such a hassle." He muttered. "Just shoot the sods and get it over with, I say."

He glanced at Lucy.

"Resistance." He explained to her. "Crept in to the shipyards and sabotaged some of the control systems for the warheads over in Russia. Luckily, they were caught before they could do any extensive damage."

He sighed.

"Still, I'm pretty sure that sets the launch schedule back a couple of months. Human beings are such a nuisance sometimes."

Lucy nodded as she fidgeted in her seat. She had to get over to the conference room and delay the alternate Doctor before he figured out what was going on.

"Darling," she said trying to keep as calm as possible. "I'm hungry. I think I'll go down to the kitchen and find something to eat. Do you want anything?"

"Nah, I'm fine. I'll eat later." The Master replied.

Lucy nodded. She rose and walked as calmly as she could out the door. Once the door closed behind her, she hurried as fast as she could to the conference room.

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"Peek-a-boo!" the alternate Doctor said as he opened the conference room door and looked in.

He looked around when he didn't see the Doctor.

"Yoooo-hooo! Where are yoooooou?" he said stepping inside. "It's your bestest buddy. Come out; come out, wherever you are!"

He looked at the tent and let out a melodramatic gasp.

"Are you hiding from me?" he said. "Naughty, naughty, you're a bad, little doggie. You're supposed to come when master calls you!"

He skipped over to the tent.

"Come here, Rover." He said. "Come out and I'll give you a nice little dog treat."

He paused and waited for a response.

"What's wrong, old man, ticker finally give out?" he asked, kicking the tent.

He sighed when nothing happened and bent down.

"You know, gramps, I think you would have learned by now not to disobey us, especially considering you nearly died two months ago. I…"

He lifted the flap and paused when he saw no one in the tent. He stared inside in disbelief for a moment and then stood up. He looked around, but couldn't see anyone other than the two guards at the door. He walked over to them.

"Where is the Doctor?" he demanded.

The guards looked at each other.

"He's in the Master's office." One of them said.

The alternate Doctor was taken aback.

"He is? What the hell is he in there for?" he said.

Sighing, he stomped back to the door.

As the conference room door opened, Lucy quickly ducked into a nearby room. She kept the door open a crack while she watched the alternate Doctor walk past.

"I'm sick and tired of that bastard doing things without my knowledge." She heard him say. "If he's torturing the Doctor, then I want to be in on it."

She waited a moment until she was sure he was gone, and then she ran out and quickly hurried to the med bay to warn the Doctor.

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The Master jumped when the office door was kicked open and the alternate Doctor stomped in.

"Why is the Doctor…"

He paused when he saw the Master sitting at his desk with a perplexed look on his face.

"Why is the Doctor, what?" the Master said.

The alternate Doctor looked around.

"The Doctor isn't in here?"

"Uh, no."

"Well, where is he then?"

"I thought he was in the conference room like always."

The alternate Doctor folded his arms over his chest.

"Guess again."

The Master's eyes bulged out of his head and he leaped up from his chair.

"That's impossible. Where are the guards?" he said.

"Standing guard."

The Master shook his head.

"No, it can't be possible. He can't have escaped." He said.

He and the alternate Doctor ran out of the room.

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The Doctor stared down at his sleeping Rose as he stroked her hair. It wouldn't be much longer before the chloroform wore off and she would wake up. He hated leaving her here, but he lacked the strength to carry her in his arms.

"Soon we will be away from here, my Rose. I will find a way to get off this ship if it kills me." He said. "All I want is to get you away from here to someplace safe and then we'll revise the plan and come up with a way to come back at the right time. I'll make two perception filters for us to wear. It won't work on the Master or my double, but it will protect us from the Toclafane and any spies they may have. All that matters now is your safety."

He looked up when the door opened and Lucy came into the room.

"He knows, Doctor. The other Doctor's been in the conference room. He knows you're not there. He just went to check my husband's office."

The Doctor groaned.

"I'm sorry, Doctor, I wasn't able to get back in time to stop him from going."

He held up his hand.

"No, it's alright. You've done so much for me already; I have no right to complain. I got the chip out of Rose's head and destroyed it and the box. That, at least, is done. We just have to deal with what happens next."

He looked down at the tray and stared at the scalpel and the beaker of sulfuric acid.

"This time, however, I won't be unarmed when they do attack." He said.

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The conference room door opened.

"WHERE IS HE?" the alternate Doctor roared as he and the Master stormed into the room.

He walked over to the terrified guards.

"WHERE IS THE DOCTOR?" the alternate Doctor screamed at them.

"He's…he's in the Master's office." One of the guards stammered.

"No, he isn't." the Master snarled at him. "Who told you he was?"

"Mrs. Saxon, she said she was here on your orders to get the Doctor and bring him to your office."

The Master and the alternate Doctor stared at them in disbelief.

"DAMMIT, MASTER, DIDN'T I WARN YOU ABOUT THAT LITTLE BITCH!" the alternate Doctor screamed at him.

"No, it can't be. Lucy would never do that to me." The Master said in disbelief.

"Oho, you wanna bet?" the alternate Doctor said. "She's a stupid, brainless ape just like all the rest of them. It's your fault for not hypnotizing her as deeply as the others. I knew she would do this to us one day!"

The Master reached into his pocket, pulled out his laser screwdriver and shot both guards dead.

"Now come on, we gotta find Lucy and make her tell us where the Doctor is." The alternate Doctor said to him.

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The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Rose was finally coming to.

"Doctor?" she mumbled.

The Doctor leaned forward and kissed her cheek.

"I'm here, Angel." He said.

"Is it done?"

"It's done. You're free."

"Thank God." She whispered.

"But, we have a problem. My double found out I wasn't in the conference room. It's only a matter of time before they find us here. I'm afraid I have to ask you to get up so we can get going."

"Yes, Doctor." She said without hesitation.

The Doctor and Lucy helped her sit up. She groaned and put a hand to her forehead.

"I have such a massive headache right now."

The Doctor nodded. He handed her two aspirin off the tray and a Styrofoam cup of water.

"Sorry, this is all I could find to kill the pain." He said as Rose swallowed the aspirin and took a swig of water.

She swallowed the pills while the Doctor wiped the aspirin residue onto his trousers before he accidentally ingested it. She leaned over slightly and sat the cup down on the tray. Lucy and the Doctor helped steady her as she got to her feet. They gasped when she reeled back and the Doctor quickly helped her sit back down on the table.

"I'm sorry, I'm still kinda dizzy." She muttered.

"It's alright, just sit for a moment and get your balance back." The Doctor said.

He looked over at the door hoping and praying that they would be able to escape before the alternate Doctor and the Master discovered their whereabouts.

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The alternate Doctor and Master stood in the surveillance room and flipped through the different camera views trying to find the Doctor, Rose and Lucy. After a few minutes, they finally found them.

"Ah, there they are." The Master said.

He frowned as he watched Lucy and the Doctor help Rose to her feet.

"Wait a moment, isn't this our med bay? What the hell did they go in there for?"

The alternate Doctor stared at them for a moment and then it hit him.

"Oh shit." He said.

He fumbled through his jacket pocket searching for his box and he let out an enraged yell when he found it missing.

"Damn her!" he yelled. "She'll pay for this!"

The Master gasped as the alternate Doctor ran past him out of the room.

"DAMMIT, THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT, MASTER!" he screamed back at the Master as he followed him out the door.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The Doctor, Rose and Lucy hurried down the corridor. The Doctor had the scalpel in his pocket while Lucy carried the beaker of acid. They kept to the shadows pausing occasionally to hide when a Toclafane flew past them. Thanks to Rose, he knew that there were a couple of escape pods that were there in case something happened to the ship. Rose had wanted to leave earlier, but the Doctor had held off not wanting to leave Jack and the others behind. But now he had no choice. The alternate Doctor wouldn't leave Rose alone. He would either kill her or implant her with another chip. He had to get her away from him before that happened. The alternate Doctor was completely insane, much more insane than the Master was. There would be no reasoning with him. He would show them no mercy now. He would torture them both relentlessly until they went insane or died. As much as he hated leaving everyone behind, they were less at risk than he and Rose were. He only prayed that he wasn't doing the wrong thing by ditching them here.

They turned another corner.

"It's this way." Rose said holding the Doctor's hand and leading the way.

The Doctor was so proud of her. He could tell she was still groggy from the chloroform, but she wasn't about to let it stop her. She was just as determined as he was to escape the ship and that gave him the strength to run with her. They would make it, together they could do anything. They turned a corner and ran right into a guard. He stared at them in shock for a moment and the Doctor took that opportunity to grab the scalpel from his pocket. As the guard raised the gun, he lunged forward and sliced his hand open. The guard yelled and grabbed his injured hand and the Doctor punched him, knocking him out. Rose grabbed the gun and they continued down the corridor.

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The med bay door burst open and the alternate Doctor and the Master ran inside.

They stared at the empty room for a moment.

"Sound the alarm!" the Master screamed.

The alternate Doctor ran over to a glass box on the wall, shattered the glass with his fist and hit a big, red button.

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All of them looked up when the Klaxon began to sound throughout the ship.

"Move!" the Doctor yelled.

The three of them sprinted down the corridor. Up ahead, two guards rounded the corner and quickly dove for cover when Rose shot at their legs. When they reached them, they darted out again. Rose felled one with the butt of the gun and the Doctor sliced the cheek of the other and decked him, knocking him out.

"Go!" he yelled to Rose and Lucy.

They rounded the corner as guards shouted to one another in the distance and quickly dove into the shadows when three Toclafane rounded another corner and zoomed past them. They waited a moment and when all was clear they ran towards the corner. They turned and gasped when they ran into Tish and Francine who were holding bottles of bleach and disinfectant.

"Go!" Francine said, pointing behind her. "Tish and I will hold them off."

"Come with us!" the Doctor said.

"No, you need someone to stay behind and fight the guards. We'll be alright, just go and get Rose out of here!"

The Doctor nodded.

"We'll be back for you, count on it." He said.

Francine nodded.

"I know you will, now go!" she said.

They ran past them as Tish and Francine quickly rounded the corner.

They turned another corner and gasped when a guard aimed his gun at them. Rose aimed her gun at him and was prepared to shoot when suddenly Clive stepped out of the shadows and shoved the handle of his mop into the guard's gut. As he bent over in pain, Clive decked him. He reeled backwards and his head hit a pipe with an enormous 'CLANG'!

"Go!" Clive said gesturing to them as the guard slumped to the ground.

The Doctor, Rose and Lucy ran over to the guard. The Doctor grabbed his gun as Clive ran to the pipes, grabbed a bottle of disinfectant from the shadows and hurried off with it and the mop to defend his friends. They turned the corner again and The Doctor grinned when he saw two more guards lying unconscious in the middle of the floor.

"Clive's been hard at work I see." The Doctor said.

They sidestepped them and ran.

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Finally, after fighting several more guards and dodging the Toclafane, they finally made it to the escape pods. The Doctor ran to the controls and quickly keyed in a command. The escape hatch door slid open.

"Get in," he ordered Rose and Lucy.

Rose obeyed and got into the small ship. Lucy started to follow when she was suddenly grabbed from behind. The Doctor turned and noticed the alternate Doctor was behind her. He was wearing the Doctor's perception filter which was why Lucy hadn't noticed him. He glanced back at Rose and saw her staring at Lucy in confusion.

"Rose, my double's here. He has the perception filter on!" he yelled at her.

Rose looked at Lucy and the alternate Doctor came into focus behind her. She pointed her gun at him.

"Don't even think about it or the bitch dies!" the alternate Doctor said holding a gun to her head.

"Run, Doctor, don't worry about me!" Lucy said.

The Doctor pointed his gun at him.

"Let her go!" he said to the alternate Doctor.

"I wouldn't if I were you, Doctor." The alternate Doctor said. "I know how much you love these apes. I'm sure you wouldn't want this one to get a bullet in the brain."

He smirked at him when he lowered the gun.

"Interesting little toy, this perception filter. I love it. It allowed me to get into the shower with Rose and watch her. I loved standing there unnoticed watching her touch her wet body and shampoo her pretty blonde hair. It was so delight…"

He yelled in surprise when Lucy mashed down on his foot with her heel. Turning, she threw the acid directly in his face. The alternate Doctor howled with pain as he dropped his gun and covered his face.

"Go, Doctor!" Lucy said to him.

"Come with us!" the Doctor said.

"There isn't enough room. They only made them big enough for two!" Lucy replied.

"We'll make room! Come on!"

He gasped when Lucy lunged forward and shoved him towards the open door.

"Go, I'll give you time to make an escape while they're dealing with me." She said.

The Doctor looked at her horrified.

"Lucy." He said.

"Doctor, just go!"

He glanced over as several Toclafane appeared at the end of the corridor. He tried to make a grab for Lucy, but she was already sprinting towards them yelling out her surrender. Cursing, the Doctor got inside and shut the door. As the alternate Doctor screamed at his double, the Doctor pushed the ignition and the escape pod jettisoned from the Valiant and headed towards London.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

The Doctor helped Rose from the escape pod and the two of them quickly hurried into an abandoned building. They fell to their knees holding one another tight.

"Oh Doctor." Rose murmured. "We're free at last."

They put their foreheads together.

"We can't stay here, we have to keep moving. We have to find shelter before the Toclafane start searching for us."

Rose nodded.

"Poor Lucy, I hope she'll be alright."

The Doctor swallowed hard.

"Me too. But, we can't worry about her right now. We have to get some supplies and get somewhere safe and I think I know where to go. Come on."

He grabbed her hand and groaned when he stood up.

"I need to rest too. I used up most of my adrenaline getting out of there." He said. "Rassilon, I hate being this old."

He took her hand and they hurried off, using the lengthening shadows from the setting sun for cover.

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Lucy sat tied to a chair in the Master's office. Her husband was across from her sitting on the edge of the desk with his arms folded over his chest.

"I can't believe you did this to me, Lucy." He said. "I can't believe you would help our enemies like that."

"They're your enemies, not mine." Lucy said.

She gasped when the Master seized her by the throat.

"Wrong," he snarled. "You belong to me which means that anything I hate, you hate. My enemies are your enemies and I do not appreciate you betraying me and helping them out! Now because of you, I have a bunch of servants that need disciplining and my partner is lying in the med bay, sedated, with a ruined face."

"Good!" she spat back. "The monster deserved it!"

She tensed when the Master leaned in and glared at her.

"I oughta kill you right now." He said through gritted teeth.

"Then, do it! I'd rather be dead than be married to the likes of you!"

Her head snapped back when the Master punched her in the face.

"Yeah, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" he said grabbing her face. "Death would be an easy way out of all of this, which is why I'm not gonna kill you. I am, however, gonna teach you a lesson about defying me. Then, I'm gonna hypnotize you so completely, you won't be able to think of what outfit to wear on your own, let alone think about doing this again."

He leaned up and sighed.

"Sorry, Lucy darling, but sometimes you gotta be cruel to be kind."

He punched her in the face.

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"There you go, my Angel, now you can rest." The Doctor said as he helped her lay down on the sleeping bag in the abandoned warehouse that he and Martha and Jack had used earlier. Luckily, nothing had been disturbed and his tools were still in the same place on the table. He would need them to make the perception filters that were vital to their survival now. He and Rose had been able to get into a few abandoned shops and fill four rucksacks with provisions, weapons and anything else they could think of that they might need. He had managed to get her some stronger painkillers for her head and she had taken 2 of them before lying down.

He kissed her tenderly as he spread another sleeping bag over her body. Even though he was exhausted, he couldn't rest just yet, not when he had work to do. He smiled down at her for a moment before he rose, grabbed one of the rucksacks and walked over to the table. With a relieved sigh, he sat his aching body down and rummaged through it finding the two keys, the string and the various components he would need to assemble the filters. He reached into his inside jacket pocket, pulled out his reading glasses and attached the magnifying lenses on them. As Rose slept peacefully nearby, he put them on and went to work.

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Finally after a few hours he was finished. He tied the string around the keys and held them both up. He scrutinized them making sure that everything was assembled perfectly. Satisfied that they would work, he laid his reading glasses on the table, and slowly got up. He walked over to Rose and knelt down beside her.

"Rose." He whispered softly.

She murmured for a moment and then went back to sleep. His hearts ached knowing he was disturbing her when she was at rest, but he had to get the perception filter around her neck.

"Rose." He whispered in her ear.

"Yes, Doctor." Rose murmured.

"Raise your head a moment. I need to put the perception filter on you."

"Okay." Rose murmured.

With eyes still closed, she raised her head groggily and let the Doctor slip the perception filter around her neck. She lowered her head back onto the sleeping bag and within seconds she was asleep again. The Doctor covered her up and kissed her temple. He rose, put his perception filter on and grabbed his sleeping bag. He spread it out beside her and laid the second one next to it. He walked over, turned out the small battery powered light on the table and with much relief walked back over to the sleeping bag, sat down, spread the second one out over his body and lay down. He pulled the second sleeping bag up to his shoulders and turned towards Rose. He gently snuggled up beside her and kissed her gently on the forehead before he finally allowed himself to fall into an exhausted sleep.

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They both slept well into the morning resting their weary bodies and taking advantage of the fact that Rose didn't have to get up at the crack of dawn to slave away. When they finally did awake, it was nearly noon.

Rose woke first. The Doctor felt her shifting her body against his and he opened his eyes and grinned at her.

"Hello, my little fugitive." He said, brushing her hair away from her eyes.

"Oh God, it feels so good waking up late in the day and not having any chores to worry about." She murmured. "I don't know why we didn't think of those escape pods earlier. I could lie like this all day."

"I could too, sadly, I'm afraid my energy was nearly depleted with our little revolt last night. It's gonna take awhile before I'm able to do something like that again."

"It's nice to be able to just lay here with you and not worry about going back to the other Doctor's bed." She murmured as she snuggled close to him. "Good riddance to him, I hope his face melts off his skull."

The Doctor kissed her.

"I hate to tell you this, Rose, but this is only temporary. In five months, we have to be back on the Valiant to rendezvous with Martha. There's no way I can get in contact with her and I don't want her coming back to the Valiant without us there. I'm afraid this is just a temporary holiday for us before going back into the fray."

Rose groaned.

"Bollocks, I knew it was too good to be true." She moaned.

The Doctor though for a moment.

"I'm the only one that has to go, Rose. You can stay down here."

"And leave you up there to deal with the two psychopaths on your own? Fat chance, I'm not breaking up the team. I want payback for what they did to us."

The Doctor sighed sadly thinking of what his double did do to her. Rose stared into his eyes.

"He did it, didn't he? He had sex with me while the chip was on?" she said reading his mind.

The Doctor squeezed his eyes shut in anguish.

"I'm so sorry, Rose." He whispered.

"For what?"

"For not protecting you from him." He said bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it.

"Doctor, look at me, please."

The Doctor opened his eyes.

"There was nothing you could have done. You were almost tortured and beaten to death. There was no way you could have protected me in the state you were in."

"Yes, but I never should have gone to look for you. If I had just stayed in my tent, they wouldn't have tortured me and he wouldn't have tried anything. It's all my fault, Rose."

"No! I'm not letting you do this, Doctor. You always blame yourself for everything and I get so tired of it. You can't control every single event that happens. Even if you had done everything they wanted, it still could've happened later on that night when I had to go back to his room. I don't blame you for this just like I don't blame you for anything else you think you might have done to me. I love you so much, Doctor. I love that you came and found me and talked some sense into me. You saved me, Doctor. You gave my hope back to me. You are my guardian angel and I love you to bits. And…I'm not gonna leave ya either because I know that's also floating through that 903 year old brain of yours. So, stop thinking that right now before I put a chip in your head and program you to quit thinking like that."

The Doctor chuckled. Relief flooded his mind as Rose held him close and sighed contentedly. Even though they would have to return eventually and confront his adversaries, it felt good to have a break. As soon as he thought that, guilt flooded his mind again thinking of everyone they had left behind. He hoped and prayed they would be alright. He hated himself for leaving them there. It wasn't fair that he and Rose were now relatively safe while they suffered. Still, Rose was right; he couldn't control every single event. He had asked them to come with him and all of them had refused, opting instead to save the two people who were most at risk of torture and death. He admired their courage; he only hoped that the decision to stay and fight wouldn't be the last decision they ever made.

Reluctantly, he rose from the warmth of the sleeping bag and Rose's body. She let out a disappointed groan and he kissed her on the forehead.

"I want to get us something to eat." He whispered. "We need to keep our strength up, just lie still and I'll get the sandwiches and juice."

He stood up and turned.

"I swear to God, it better not be peanut butter and jelly or I'll shove that key of yours directly in your eye." He heard her mutter.

The Doctor turned and grinned at her.

"But, Rose, I need my peanut butter and jelly fix. You know that."

"I'm warning you." Rose said pointing her finger at him.

He snickered.

"Nah, it's not peanut butter." He said.

"Thank God for that."

"It's prunes. You know us old people need our daily intake of prunes to keep us regular so I'm making prune sandwiches with prune juice and afters you can change my poopy nappy.

He giggled and ran when Rose grabbed his sleeping bag, wadded it up and threw it at his head.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty-One

After a light lunch consisting of ham sandwiches and juice boxes, Rose and the Doctor emerged from the warehouse and took a walk, wanting to see the devastation for themselves.

It was far worse than they imagined. Ruined and bombed out buildings surrounded them and the city streets were quiet. Once in awhile they would encounter a few people hurrying to buildings or milling about in the alleyways, but other than that there was no one about. Rose felt uneasy listening to the unnatural quiet. She glanced up at the Doctor and her heart ached when he saw the anguish in his eyes. She squeezed his hand and he gave her a sad smile as he looked at her.

They walked over to the bank of the Thames. The Doctor sat down and Rose sat in front of him and scooted back into his arms. There were no boats of any kind sailing along the river, the only living things in sight were the occasional birds flying overhead. The whole thing was surreal to Rose. It felt like she was in a dream. She wished with all her heart that she was.

They sat for awhile in silence, huddling close to one another for warmth. It was the middle of November now, but neither Rose nor the Doctor took much notice of the cold as they sat lost in their own thoughts.

As they sat there, Rose suddenly gasped when she noticed a Toclafane flying towards them. The Doctor tightened his grip around her middle.

"Sit perfectly still, don't say anything." He whispered in her ear.

"Doctor." Rose whispered watching it fearfully.

"Shhhhh."

Rose held her breath as the Toclafane flew past them. For a moment, she was terrified that it would spot them and attack, but it took no notice of them as it kept on going. Rose let out her breath.

"See, I told you the perception filters would work." The Doctor whispered to her.

Rose leaned her cheek against his, relieved.

The Doctor watched it as it flew off into the distance.

"Never thought my childhood nightmare would come to life." He muttered.

Rose frowned.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

The Doctor looked at her.

"The name Toclafane is something from my childhood." He said. "When Gallifreyan children are young, they are told tales of the Toclafane who reside in the mountains of South Gallifrey. They are said to be able to fly through the night and appear and disappear at will. They go after anyone, but they especially love targeting children because they are weak and vulnerable. Once they catch you, they turn you into one of them and you are doomed to prey on others. They are said to be hideous monsters, deformed and misshapen and completely indestructible. No one supposedly has met with one and lived to tell about it. There's no such thing as the Toclafane, though. It's our version of the bogeyman. When I was young, I was always warned by my parents to behave or the Toclafane would come and get me. Used to have nightmares about them when I was small. Now the nightmares have come true.

Rose was silent for a moment.

"I saw one of them, Doctor. I saw inside and there's this misshapen human face in there."

The Doctor swallowed.

"It's a human from the year 100 trillion. They were colonists from this doomed planet Malcasairo. It's where I met the Master; although when I first met him he had turned himself into a human like I did and was hiding there same as when I had to hide out from the Family in 1913. He and his assistant Chantho were trying to launch a rocket so the colonists could go to a place called Utopia. We helped them launch the rocket and I assumed they made it, but somehow they were turned into these monstrous things and seduced by the Master into doing his bidding. I guess he called them Toclafane as a private joke except I'm not finding it one bit funny."

"He looked at her.

"He's been here for awhile setting up things. He designed that Archangel Network and sent a rhythmic signal all over the Earth that allowed him to hypnotize people. The signal also hid him which is why I couldn't feel him in my head. He's been here all along, Rose, quietly putting his plan into action and we didn't have a clue it was happening."

He sighed looking out at the empty Thames.

"And now because of him the Earth is devastated." He said bitterly.

Rose laid her cheek against his.

"We'll fix it though, Doctor." She said.

He smiled.

"Yes, we will."

They held each other tight as both of them fell into silence.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After awhile, the two of them rose and walked back into the city. Again, there was hardly anyone out in the open and the few that were around took no notice of them due to the perception filters. Rose marveled at that. She remembered sensing the Doctor on the Valiant the day the Toclafane came and then being shocked when it seemed like he had suddenly appeared out of nowhere to grab at her. She sighed. It seemed an eternity since that day. So much had happened to all of them since then.

They passed by Nelson's Column. The Doctor was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize for a moment that Rose had left his side. Panicked, he looked around and noticed her staring up at the column with a shocked look on her face.

"Rose, what is it?" he asked walking back to her.

She pointed up to the statue of Nelson. The Doctor looked up and his eyes widened. Instead of the familiar statue, the stone figure of the Master now stood there looking out at the city. The Doctor rolled his eyes and sighed angrily. He took Rose's hand and they continued on.

Along the way, they noticed that several more statues of the Master had been erected in various spots around the city. They stopped at a large one that depicted the Master wearing a Roman toga and laurel wreath. He was holding out his hand with the Gallifreyan signet ring on it. Kneeling in front of him was a bunch of humans who were staring up at him reverently. One human was holding his outstretched hand getting ready to kiss the ring.

"I think this confirms the theory that the Master is in love with no one but himself." The Doctor muttered.

They walked on.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After several more minutes, they reached Buckingham Palace. They paused when they noticed the front gates were standing wide open and the grounds were deserted. The Doctor glanced at Rose and they walked through the gates.

"Hello?" The Doctor said opening the front door and sticking his head inside. "Your majesty? Charles?"

He paused.

"Camilla?"

There was no answer and the Doctor and Rose went inside and closed the door.

Rose frowned when she noticed the difference in temperature.

"It's warm in here." She said.

The Doctor walked over to a nearby lamp and turned it on.

"Electricity is still on." He said pointing to the light. "I suppose this is the Master's way of being merciful to his subjects. At least he's allowed people the chance to be in a warm building this winter."

Rose looked around as the Doctor switched off the light.

"Where is everyone?" she asked.

Her eyes widened.

"You don't think the Toclafane killed them, do you?"

"Either that or they fled the city." The Doctor said. "Or, they're holed up in here somewhere. This is a big place, you know."

He smiled at her.

"Let's go find out, shall we? I've always wanted a tour of Buckingham Palace and since there's not much else to do..."

He took Rose's hand.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The two of them walked slowly through the different rooms admiring the furnishings and artwork. So far, they had seen no sign of anyone and Rose figured that if there had been someone they would have heard them by now.

The palace was largely untouched. Occasionally they would see a few small holes in the enormous windows and some scorch marks in the carpets, but other than that it looked undamaged.

They wandered into a large banquet hall and saw a huge table. Dishes, silverware and glasses were arranged neatly in front of each seat.

"Must have been preparing to have some kind of state dinner when the Toclafane attacked." The Doctor said.

They walked over to the table. Rose picked up a plate and admired its beauty while the Doctor turned and stared at the portraits on the walls. As he continued to admire the portraits, Rose walked down the table glancing at the name cards by each place setting. She reached the head of the table and read Elizabeth's name. Grinning, she sat down in her seat.

"We are not amused." She said.

The Doctor grinned at her.

"Wrong queen, Rose." He said.

"Well, I'm sure Elizabeth has wanted to say that a time or two." She replied as he chuckled.

Rose sighed as she fingered the wine glass in front of her.

"God, it seemed like such a long time ago that we met Victoria."

"I know." The Doctor said nodding.

"So, much has happened to us since." She murmured.

She sat and stared at the place settings. Suddenly, she felt very hungry.

"Can we go check out the kitchen?" Rose asked the Doctor.

The Doctor's stared at her with wide eyes.

"You're hungry already? We just ate!" he said.

"Yeah, a little sandwich and a juice box. We've walked since then. Besides I wanna know what royalty eats."

The Doctor looked around him and looked at Rose with a conspiratorial look in his eyes.

"Oooo, you mean you wanna go raid the royal's fridge?" he said in a hushed voice.

"Yeah, I wanna go rummage through their refrigerator and eat their food." She said in a loud whisper.

The Doctor grinned.

"Let's do it!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After several minutes, they finally located the enormous kitchen. Rose whistled when she saw the size of it.

"Blimey, mum would go ballistic in here." She said.

She and the Doctor wandered over to the huge stainless steel refrigerator. They looked at one another and threw open the door together.

"Okay, what does royalty eat?" The Doctor muttered, peering in.

He grabbed a small jar.

"Caviar." He said showing it to Rose.

"Ick, pass." She said.

He reached back into the fridge and pulled out something else.

"Foie Grois." He muttered putting it back in.

He grabbed something else.

"Smoked Oysters."

"They have any normal food?" Rose asked.

"Milk." The Doctor said pointing to it. "Which I'm sure is sour by now."

"Wow, nice to know they drink milk like normal people." Rose muttered.

She walked around the Doctor and opened the freezer door.

"Ooo."

The Doctor looked at Rose.

"What?"

"They actually have chips."

The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"How did I know you would find that food item?" he asked.

"Want some?"

"Can you make them?"

"Yes, Doctor, I can make chips."

"Have at it then." The Doctor replied shrugging.

She grabbed the bag. She paused when she noticed some minced meat near the back. She pulled it out, shut the door and walked over to the stove.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Mmmm, I'm impressed, Tyler. You know how to make burgers and chips." The Doctor said as they ate at the kitchen island.

"Well, I am capable of cooking when I have to." She said.

"Hey, Rose."

Rose looked at him.

"Yeah?"

"We're eating burgers and chips in Buckingham Palace." He said nudging her.

"I know." Rose whispered. "Ooo, think we should use the loo next?"

The Doctor stared at her with feigned shock.

"Rose Tyler, are you suggesting we defecate in the royal toilets? Should we throw that much caution to the wind?"

"Yeah, let's go wild."

The Doctor grinned.

"Me first!" he said walking off.

"Wait!" Rose said grabbing his arm.

"What?"

Rose stuck her tongue between her teeth.

"After we use the toilets, let's go sit on their beds."

The Doctor let out a melodramatic gasp.

"Rose, you are such a rebel."

"I know."

"Well, what we waiting for? Let's go poop in the posh privy!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor and Rose sat on Queen Elizabeth's bed.

"I guess it's safe to assume no one is home." He said. "Otherwise, we'd be nabbed by now."

"Yup, I think we have the palace all to ourselves." Rose said.

The Doctor grinned at her.

"Perfect hiding place, eh?"

Rose looked at him.

"You're not suggesting…"

"Why not? Who is gonna go looking for us in here? 'Sides, it's nice and comfy and warm and it has everything we need. I'm sure they have all the amenities stocked up somewhere so we wouldn't have to worry about going round to the shops for anything. I say we move in and make this our official holiday from the psychos home."

"Really?"

"Really. I think we deserve it. We've endured seven months of sheer hell and lived. This is our reward."

He smiled and leaned into her ear.

"Besides," he whispered. "Nothing but a palace is fit for my queen."

"Cor, listen to you then, you smooth talker. No wonder you got so many women to travel with ya."

His eyes twinkled and he leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"Okay, vote time, all in favor of making a hideout out of Buckingham Palace, say aye. Aye!"

"Aye!" Rose said.

"Great, it's all settled. Let's get back to the warehouse, get our stuff and then it's time to move on up to the posh life!"


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty-Two

After retrieving their stuff, the Doctor and Rose came back to the palace. They wandered around some more and discovered the living room. They sat the rucksacks down and the Doctor walked over to the big screen TV by the couch.

"Wonder if there are still any channels left?" he said picking up the remote.

He turned on the TV and flipped through trying to find anything as Rose sat down behind him. Finally, he found a station and stepped back to let Rose see. There were photos of him and Rose above the caption, DANGEROUS FUGITIVES ON LOOSE. He sat down next to her and listened to a male voiceover.

The criminals known as the Doctor and Rose Tyler are possibly armed and are extremely dangerous. If you know their whereabouts, please do not approach them or antagonize them. Contact the nearest security officer and tell him where they are.

"Security officer?" Rose asked.

"The Master's hypnotized goons, I expect." The Doctor said. "We'll have to be very careful about putting the light on in rooms where people can see them."

"Do you really think that people would turn us in after all that's happened?" Rose asked.

"I don't know, but I'm not taking any chances. These perception filters do not come off for any reason, is that understood?"

"Yes, Doctor." Rose said nodding.

Rose Tyler is a 21 year old Caucasian female with brown eyes and blonde hair. The Doctor is approximately 100 years old. He is a Caucasian man with thinning white hair and brown eyes. The pair was last spotted entering London…

"I'm surprised they didn't make a crack about my age." The Doctor muttered to Rose.

…Again, if you see them, do not approach them.

"Yeah, "see" being the operative word here." The Doctor muttered.

…Working together, we can apprehend these despicable criminals and make the streets safer for everyone.

The Doctor snorted.

…All hail our benevolent Master! And now, back to our regular programming.

The Doctor raised his eyebrow.

"What, they still showing Eastenders, then?" he asked.

The screen went to black for a moment and then they saw the Master sitting behind his desk in his office.

"Oh wow, I had no idea the Master was on Eastenders now. Must be tiring doing that and ruling the world at the same time." The Doctor said.

"My subjects." The Master said giving the camera a benevolent smile. "I love each and every one of you."

"Geez." Rose muttered.

"You have shown your devotion to me by working on the missiles without complaint and that's why I have decided to reward you for your hard work."

"Missiles, what missiles?" Rose said looking at the Doctor.

"I think we're about to get a little glimpse of the Master's overall plan." The Doctor said.

They watched as the picture cut to a shipyard. Rose's eyes boggled when she saw missiles stretching back several miles.

"Oh my God, is he gonna use those to blow up the Earth?" she said.

"Here are some of the fruit that came from your hard labors. I appreciate each and every volunteer who worked on them and helped bring them to completion."

"Volunteer, my eye." The Doctor muttered.

"As a reward, I'm letting each and every one of you have a day off."

"Wow, how generous of you." The Doctor muttered.

"Go, be with your families, take a day off and enjoy your rest. You've earned it." The Master said as the picture cut back to him. "I am proud of all of you."

The Doctor rolled his eyes when the Master grinned at the camera and they heard a male voice say…

REJOICE! YOUR MASTER LOVES YOU!

"I think that's quite enough for today." The Doctor said grabbing the remote. "I have a feeling the other programs are more of the same."

"Doctor, the missiles, he has so many. Is he really going to destroy the Earth with them?"

The Doctor turned off the TV and sat back. He thought for a moment.

"I doubt it, Rose." He finally said. "If he wanted to destroy the Earth he has six billion Toclafane at his disposal."

"Then, what are the missiles for?"

"The other planets around us, I'm thinking."

Rose's mouth dropped open.

"Oh God," she said as the Doctor nodded.

"Yup, interplanetary war on a grand scale. Most aliens stay clear of this place because they think its so backwater. I'm sure most of them have no clue that he's about to launch warheads at them. Once those planets are out of the way, then he moves on to more of them and keeps on going until the universe is his.

He looked at her.

"I'm not including my double in this whole scheme. I'm sure he'll be long dead by then." He said. "I still believe that the Master is only keeping him around as long as he's useful. He'll never let him be co-ruler despite what my double thinks."

He sighed.

"It's just one more thing we have to worry about Rose. That's why when we go back; we have to destroy the paradox machine. It's the only way we can undo the damage he's caused."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose went off to explore the palace a little more. As she did, the Doctor took the opportunity to tune his mind into the satellites. When Rose returned a bit later to tell the Doctor that she had found a huge library for him, he was deep in meditation. He opened his eyes when she sat down beside him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb ya." She said.

"You aren't disturbing me. I was just trying to tune into the satellites again." He said.

"How are you doing that?"

"Eeeeeh, it's complicated." The Doctor replied. "It involves finding the correct wavelength of each satellite and tuning into them."

"Why?"

The Doctor glanced at her.

"I mean, why are you doing it?" she said.

He smiled.

"I'm hoping I can use the satellites to make myself young again."

"How?"

"Well, I…"

He was cut short when he heard gunfire outside.

"Rose, get down." He hissed at her.

They hit the floor and the Doctor reached up and turned off the light. They crawled to the window as the shouts and gunfire continued. They raised their heads and tentatively peeked out. They saw several men and women outside the palace gates shooting at a couple of Toclafane. Powerless to help them, the Doctor and Rose watched as the bullets bounced harmlessly off the Toclafane's shells.

"Go to hell!" one of the men screamed at them.

The Doctor gritted his teeth.

"Come on, run. You can't stop them." He muttered to himself.

He watched with anguish as the Toclafane shot at the rebel's legs and they fell to the ground. As the Toclafane advanced on them, the rebels continued to fire at them and then the spikes came out. The Doctor grabbed Rose and pulled her to him, turning her head into his chest as the Toclafane began to slice and mutilate the helpless resistance members.

"Oh God, it's happening again. It's just like that poor guard." Rose said burying her face in his shirt.

The Doctor could bear no more. He turned his eyes away and lowered his head to Rose's as the sounds of the rebel's screams eventually died away. The Doctor glanced back up and his stomach turned as the Toclafane flew off leaving the mutilated corpses lying in pools of their own blood.

"Damn you, Master." He muttered.

Making sure to keep her eyes averted, he helped Rose back over to the couch and sat down beside her. Rose laid her head on his chest.

"Oh God, Doctor, those poor people." She said.

The Doctor nodded silently.

"There was a guard. When we looked inside that Toclafane, we were inside the TARDIS…our TARDIS and the Master gave a demonstration of what they could do, for me and the other Doctor. He brought this poor innocent guard in and…"

She closed her eyes as the Doctor stroked her hair.

"The Master will be stopped. Make no mistake." The Doctor said to her. "They both will pay for this and pay dearly."


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty-Three

The next morning the Doctor and Rose woke early. The Doctor glanced out the window and to his relief; he noticed that the bodies had been taken away during the night. A light fall rain was slowly washing the blood away sparing them the horror of having to look at it and remember the carnage the night before.

After finishing up breakfast, Rose led him to the library. The Doctor looked through the vast collection finally choosing two books. Rose could find nothing of interest and so she went to get her crossword puzzle and Sudoku books from her rucksack while the Doctor went back up to the living room.

They sat together silently on the couch, the Doctor reading and Rose working her crossword puzzle.

"Doctor."

"Hmmm?"

"Harmful or destructive, ten letters, blank, blank, R, N, blank, blank, O, blank, blank, blank.

"Pernicious." The Doctor said turning the page of his book.

"Spell it?"

"P-E-R-N-I-C-I-O-U-S."

Rose wrote it in.

"Thanks."

"Welcome."

The Doctor read a couple of sentences in his book. Then, curious, he leaned over and glanced at Rose's crossword. He glanced up at the heading.

"Intermediate level, eh?" he asked her.

"Mmhmm, there's easy ones, but I can do those without any trouble." She said.

"Is there advanced level?"

"There's expert." Rose said looking at him. "Why you wanna do one?"

"Yeah, let me take a whack at it."

He put his book aside and Rose handed him the crossword puzzle book and the pencil. He turned down the corner of the page Rose was on and thumbed through until he found one that had an Expert heading on it.

"I've never been able to do one of these all the way through." She said. "They're tricky."

The Doctor put the book in his lap. Pencil poised above the crossword puzzle, he quickly read through all the clues. Then, as Rose watched in amazement, he filled in the words with lightning speed. He finished the whole thing in a minute and a half and handed it and the pencil back to her. Rose's jaw dropped when she looked through the finished puzzle. She looked over at his smug grin and the Doctor giggled when Rose slapped his chest with the book.

"What? Can I help it if I'm brilliant?" he said. "That's why I never do these things. They're way too easy for me."

"You just wanted to show off like always." Rose said.

"Well, yeah, I did." He grinned.

He snickered as Rose turned the pages and found the puzzle she was working on.

"Gee, Doctor, thank you for making me feel inferior at crossword puzzles."

"Anytime, Rose, you want me to show you how fast I can do Sudoku? My all time record is 20 seconds. Wanna see if I can beat it?"

"No, thanks, I'll pass!" Rose said rolling her eyes as he laughed and picked his book back up.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Master entered the alternate Doctor's bedroom and walked over to his bed. The alternate Doctor was sitting up in bed; bandages covered his face leaving only his good eye visible. Both hands were also wrapped up.

"How are you feeling?" the Master asked.

"I feel like killing my double." He said.

"So, what else is new?"

"Have you found them yet?" the alternate Doctor asked.

The Master shook his head.

"They must have perception filters on."

"Or," the Master said shrugging. "They might have found a really good hiding place."

"No, I'm sure he made more perception filters. He would have been a fool not to make them with all the Toclafane around." He muttered.

He looked up at the Master.

"As soon as these bandages come off, we're going down there to look for them. If they are wearing perception filters, we'll be able to see through them."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! I want them both to suffer for this!" the alternate Doctor yelled. "The Doctor has been a thorn in my side for far too long. He should have been plucked a long time ago."

He pointed at the Master.

"And now I'm disfigured and it's all your fault!"

"My fault? I wasn't the one who threw the bleedin' acid!" the Master shot back.

"No, but you were the one who let that bitch of a wife have too much freedom. You were the one who let the Doctor live when he should have died the very first day! If both things had been taken care of, I wouldn't be sitting here looking like a mummy! You are too kindhearted, Master. I realize you and he go way back, but it's time to quit being merciful to your ex-boyfriend!"

"Wait, what? He isn't my ex-boyfriend!" the Master said.

"Oh really, what was that whole are you asking me out on a date line about then?"

The Master struggled to remember when he had said that and then it hit him.

"That was a joke, you imbecile. The Doctor had just got done telling me that he and I were the only two Time Lords left. I wasn't being serious!"

"How should I know? You wouldn't let me listen in! And what'd he mean you and he are the only two Time Lords left. What about me?"

"Apparently, you don't count." The Master said smirking. "He and I go way back as adversaries and yes, at one point in the distant, distant past we were friends, but that's as far as it went. I have no feelings for the man whatsoever."

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU KILL HIM WHEN YOU HAVE THE CHANCE?"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU?" the Master screamed back. "You had plenty of opportunities to kill him, but you wanted to keep him around so you could make grandpa jokes and taunt him about Rose. You accuse me of all this, but you are just as much to blame as I am for your face. If YOU killed him when you had the chance, you wouldn't be in this situation, would you?"

"I didn't kill him because you forbid me to." The alternate Doctor said through gritted teeth.

The Master feigned sadness.

"Well, isn't that a shame. So, instead of getting what you really wanted, you were forced to merely humiliate the man. Seems you finally figured out who is in charge here. See, I'm the one with the plan. I'm the one who figured out everything. It's my Archangel Network and my Toclafane that made this whole thing possible. You are just along for the ride."

"Then the Doctor was right."

The Master raised his eyebrow.

"Right about what?"

"That I'm just your patsy. That you were gonna kill me when you were through with me."

The Master smirked.

"Yeah, pretty much."

The alternate Doctor roared as he leapt out of the bed towards him. The Master punched him in the face and he reeled back on the bed. Two guards ran in with guns drawn. The Master held up his hand and they stopped at the edge of the bed with their guns trained on the alternate Doctor. The alternate Doctor gasped as the Master grabbed him by his neck and leaned on his body pinning him to the bed.

"I didn't just come in here to find out how you were; I also wanted to give you a mission." The Master said.

"What mission?"

"Well, it's sorta along the lines of what you were thinking except that you are going alone and you are going to be doing it my way."

"Which means you won't let me kill them."

"Precisely!" the Master snarled. "The Doctor needs to see my ultimate triumph. I don't give a damn what he did to you or what kind of personal vendetta you have with him. This is my plan and things will be done the way I want! And to ensure that you comply, I'm afraid you're gonna have to be hypnotized."

The alternate Doctor struggled to get up. The guards pointed their guns directly at his face and he stopped resisting.

"You had this in mind all along, didn't you?" the alternate Doctor said.

"Um, yeah, I did. Sorry, like I keep telling you, the Doctor isn't as stupid as you think."

He nodded at a guard and he hit the alternate Doctor in the face with the butt of his gun, knocking him out. The Master got off of him.

"Take him to the lab and prepare the hypno-ray." The Master said "I want him under my control as soon as possible so he can begin looking for the Doctor and Rose."

He stepped back and watched as the guards grabbed the unconscious Doctor under the arms and dragged him out the door.

"Sorry, Doctor, I hate to do this to you, but you know, I've never been able to work well with others." He said following them out the door.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty-Four

"Is everything ready?" the Master asked stepping into the laboratory.

"Yes, Master." One of the guards replied.

"Good."

He walked over to the lab table and stared down at his former partner. The bandages had been removed and he winced at the alternate Doctor's face. It was completely ruined and a couple of spots of flesh on his cheek and forehead had been eaten away almost down to the bone. His hair, from his forehead to halfway back on his head, was completely missing. His hands were not quite as bad as his face, but there was still spots were the flesh had been damaged beyond repair.

"Ugh, glad it wasn't me that got the acid." The Master muttered.

He smiled down at the alternate Doctor as his eyes fluttered open. He looked around in confusion for a moment and then seeing his wrists and ankles were restrained, looked up at the Master with rage.

"Let me go!" he snarled at him.

"I will, once I have you in my power!"

"Why are you doing this to me? We had a deal!"

The Master chuckled.

"Yes, but as I'm sure the Doctor probably told you, I'm not an honorable man. You see, I let you tag along because I sensed that at some point you would serve a great purpose for me in my whole grand scheme of things and now I've finally found it. The Doctor may be old, but as you've seen he's not feeble. I have spent 7 precious months building up my fleet and I'm not about to let a geriatric Time Lord and a human girl wreck it all. I am far too important to go down and look for them myself so I'm afraid dear Doctor, you are about to become my hunting dog and go fetch."

"I'll kill you for this!"

The Master yawned.

"Yeah, that's interesting. I'd love to stick around and hear some more of your empty threats, but I have a world to run. I'll be down to check on you after you've been put under my control, until then, see ya!"

He walked over to a guard as the alternate Doctor screamed curses at him.

"Turn it up to the highest setting." He said to him. "His brain is more advanced than a human's and I want to make sure the deformed sod is well and truly in my power."

He paused.

"And just to be sure, keep the ray on longer than you normally would."

"Yes, Master."

The Master waved to the alternate Doctor and exited the room as he screamed curses at him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose finished cooking her and the Doctor a meal of burgers, chips and water. She carried the tray into the living room and sat it down on the coffee table. She glanced back and saw the Doctor was watching another alert about them on TV.

"Why are you even bothering with watching that, Doctor? You know it's either some warning about us or a bunch of propaganda from the Master. There's nothing else on."

"I'm trying to find out more about the missiles." He said to her as he leaned forward and grabbed his glass. "I want to know exactly where these missiles are, how many he's got, and what he wants them for. If I have to suffer through his bullshit to learn that, then I will."

Rose shrugged. She sat down beside him, picked up her plate, sat it on her lap and munched on a chip as she read a magazine.

If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of these two, please contact your security officer as soon as possible.

"Yeah, if you can get time off from building missiles to do that." The Doctor muttered.

The screen went black for a moment. Then they saw the Master sitting behind his desk.

"My loyal subjects," He began.

The Doctor snorted.

"If they're so loyal, how come they're revolting in the streets?" He muttered.

"I have taken time off from my busy schedule to address a rumor that has been going around lately."

The Doctor took a swig of water.

"Seems some of you may have heard of a woman named Martha Jones."

The Doctor nearly choked. He grabbed the remote and turned the volume up as Rose put down her magazine. Both of them watched the screen intently.

"This woman who is supposedly walking the world telling you about a man called the Doctor. A man who has already been identified as a dangerous criminal. I'm here to tell you that you should pay no attention to this woman. She is a lunatic who wants nothing more than to make trouble and hurt innocent people."

"No, that's you, I believe." The Doctor muttered.

"You see, after the attack, the poor thing went completely nuts and now she roams around the world rambling on about nothing and giving people false hope that a savior is going to free them. Well, I'm sorry, but there is absolutely no truth to her story."

The picture cut to a photo of Martha. The Doctor hearts ached staring at the photo of his girl and he wondered where she was and if she was alright.

As if in answer to his silent question, he heard the Master say.

"This woman is believed to be somewhere in China at the moment and making her way towards Japan.

"Geez, Martha's a long way from home." Rose said.

The Doctor smiled as his hearts swelled with pride for his loyal companion. Knowing she was out there doing what he asked of her gave him hope that his plan would succeed.

The camera cut back to the Master.

"Once again, my loyal subjects, I caution you about listening to this raving maniac. She is nothing but trouble, stay away from her before she goes berserk and slaughters you and your family."

"Oh puh-leeze." The Doctor muttered.

"And now before I go, I want to finish up by addressing two people in particular. The criminals Doctor and Rose Tyler.'

The Doctor and Rose glanced at each other and leaned forward.

"If you are watching this, Doctor, and I know you are, since I know you're trying to figure out what's going on since your escape; let me assure you that this will only be temporary for you and your little friend. Steps are being taken at this very moment to find you both and bring you back to the Valiant and rest assured, you will be caught. So, enjoy the little holiday because believe me, it won't last."

The Doctor and Rose glanced at each other.

"He has to find us first, and London is a big city." The Doctor assured her.

"Oh, and just so you know cause I'm sure you're wondering, your little friends who decided to participate in your escape, they're all still alive. 'Course, we had to break a few arms and beat them until they were near death, but they're still breathing and I'm sure in a month or two they will recover completely."

The Doctor gritted his teeth and clenched his fist as Rose put her hand over her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut in anguish.

"So, my loyal subjects, let that also be a warning to you not to help these two criminals because I can assure you, you won't like the punishment you'll receive."

The Doctor stared at the screen, enraged, when he heard a voiceover say REJOICE, THE MASTER LOVES YOU! and the screen faded to black. He grabbed the remote, turned it off and got up.

"I'm sorry, Rose, I appreciate you making lunch for us, but I've just suddenly lost my appetite. I think I'll go lay down for awhile." He said setting down his glass and kissing her on the head.

Rose bit her lip as she watched the Doctor stomp out of the room. She turned back to the TV and stared at the blank screen in fury.

"I hope we do get caught, Master, because I can't wait to get my hands on you and tear you limb from limb." She muttered.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter Thirty-Five

The Master nodded at the guard who was operating the camera.

"That will be all." He said waving him away. "Go back to your duties."

The guard nodded. He turned and walked out the door as the Master sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"Well, that's taken care of."

He frowned.

"There is the problem of Martha, however." he said to himself. " I can't let her continue to roam free defying me. She's setting a very bad example for the rest of the population. If they see her out and about speaking her mind, others might get the idea that they can do that too."

He glanced over at Lucy sitting on the couch.

"Isn't that right, my dear?"

Lucy turned her blank gaze to him.

"Yes." She said in a dull voice.

The Master nodded.

"So, I think we should send the Toclafane to Japan, both to kill Martha and show the rest of the world that resistance is useless. Kill two birds with one stone."

He paused and thought.

"Ooo, but then again Martha is wearing her perception filter, so the Toclafane won't be able to see her."

He smiled.

"Well, then I guess we'll just have to kill everyone in Japan then. That way we can be sure we got rid of the little menace once and for all."

He was about to summon a Toclafane to him when he had a thought.

"I better wait at least a day. That way, Martha will have time to get to the island. It won't do to devastate the Japanese if Martha isn't among them."

He stood up.

"In the meantime, I'll go check up on pizza face and see if he's become mindless yet."

He walked over to Lucy and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'll be back later, dear."

"Alright."

The Master leaned up and grinned at her. He had hesitated at first with hypnotizing her further. But, looking at his quiet, obedient wife sitting there not causing trouble made him glad he did. It was one less thing he had to worry about. Sighing contentedly, he hurried off to the lab to check on the progress of the alternate Doctor.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Martha staggered back and put her hand against a wall. She put her hand to her head. She had just finished going through North and South Korea and had teleported into Nagasaki. She stood for a moment getting over the effects of the teleport while she stared out at the sea.

She leaned back against the wall watching the waves lapping up on the shore. Another country to go through. Now it was the middle of November and the days were growing colder. It was no longer possible for her to sleep outside at night so she had to rely on the kindness of strangers to keep from freezing to death.

She leaned back up and sighed. Much as she'd like to take it easy and rest, there was work to do. She only had four and a half months left and she still had the southern hemisphere countries and then on to the US, Canada, Mexico and on and on until she got back to England. It seemed an impossible task, but she was proud of the ground she had covered so far and she knew that she could make it the rest of the way.

She glanced over at an old man making his way towards her. She cleared her throat.

"Hello!" she said in a loud clear voice.

The man instantly focused on her and he put his hand to his heart.

"Aye-yah, where did you come from?" he asked her in English.

Martha now knew it was the TARDIS translating for her. It was highly improbable that everyone she had met and talked to happened to speak perfect English. She thanked the TARDIS's translating abilities. The thought of it made her think of the Doctor and she sighed. She couldn't wait to get back and see him and her friends again.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." She said. "I'm---"

"Martha Jones." The old man finished.

Martha was taken aback.

"You know me?" she said.

"Of course I know you. You're the crazy woman who walks the world."

"Oh gee, thanks." Martha muttered. "Nice to know people have a high opinion of me."

"You are very well known now. There are many stories about you." The man said smiling.

"Really, what kind of stories?"

"They say that you have walked over the entire world speaking to all the survivors and telling them your story." The man said. "They say that you have fought the Master and lived to tell about it. They say that you will kill the Master and free us all."

He leaned in and put his hand to the side of his mouth as he whispered in her ear.

"They also say you are completely insane and that no one should listen to you, but I don't believe that part." He said.

"Well good, because I'm not insane." Martha said. "And as for defeating the Master, I'm not the one who will do that. I have a friend who will though and I want to---"

"Tell us all about him? Yes, I know." The man finished.

Martha smiled. Her reputation was now preceding her.

_Good, maybe now I won't have to tell as many people about the Doctor._ She thought.

"Listen, um…"

"Toshi. Toshi Yakamura." The old man said.

"Listen, Toshi, is there someplace that I can talk to the people?"

"Of course, Martha-sama, we have a building all ready. We have been watching for your arrival for many weeks now. We also have a room prepared for you and my wife Yoko will fix you a hot meal."

Martha grinned.

"Thank you, Toshi, I'd really appreciate it." Martha said.

For the first time since starting out on this mission, she felt confident that she would finish it on time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor lay on the bed staring up at the ceiling. He and Rose slept together in one of the guest bedrooms. Even though no one was around, they still didn't feel right sleeping in Elizabeth's or any of the other royals beds. The room that they had picked was very comfortable and the bed was nice and soft. After sleeping on bedding thrown on the floor, he had come to love the feel of the mattress on his ancient, aching back.

He sighed and closed his eyes. Guilt flooded his mind thinking of his friend's torment. He should have grabbed them all and forced them to come with him and Rose. He never should have left them behind. Thinking of them all lying in a cell near death, punished for nothing more than helping him and Rose to escape filled him with anguish. This whole situation was getting worse by the second and he wondered how much more darkness they would have to endure before the end finally came.

He felt the covers lift up and the familiar warmth of Rose as she slid in next to him.

"Doctor, are you alright?" she asked touching his face.

He opened his mouth to speak.

"And don't say "I'm fine" because I know you're not." She said. "I know you are far from fine so let me have the truth."

The Doctor sighed and opened his eyes.

"It's everything, Rose. Everything that has happened. It seems even though we escaped the Master that things are still going from bad to worse. Now, Martha's family and Lucy are lying on the Valiant beaten to the point of death with broken arms and it's all my fault."

"No, Doc---"

"Yes, Rose, it is." He said looking at her. "I am the one who thought up the escape. It's because of me that they almost died, so don't try to sugarcoat it and say it was their decision. I know you love me and you don't want to see me beating myself up, but sometimes I do deserve it. I let those people down. I should have made them come with me when I had the chance."

"How, Doctor, pick them all up in your arms, carry them to the pod and stuff them inside?" Rose said. "You are not responsible for everyone in the whole bleedin' world, Doctor. If they didn't want to go, then they had the right to make that choice. You are not like the Master, Doctor. You would never force people to do things against their will. That's why you didn't try to stop them or grab at them when you had the chance. You let them go and defend us because you allowed them the right to determine their own destinies. I'm sure that none of them blame you for what happened. I'm sure all of them are glad that we got away. You are the one who thinks that everyone is walking around angry at you because you let something bad happen to them. It's like I told you before with the other Doctor raping me, it was bound to happen sometime whether or not you revolted. The other Doctor and the Master are demented and they could have thought up any little excuse, real or imagined, to punish us and make us suffer."

She laid her hand on the side of his cheek.

"You are not God, Doctor. I keep telling you that. You can't be everywhere and protect everyone. I know how deeply you love the human race, but, you know what, it's just like a mother watching her child grow up. The mother loves the child and wants so much to shield him from every possible danger, but if she did that, then the child would grow up sheltered and weak and deprived of a full life filled with risks and adventure. It's painful to watch people make decisions that lead to bad outcomes, but that's the beauty of the human mind. We have freedom of choice unlike some races like the Ood. Do you see what I'm saying?"

The Doctor nodded.

"I do, Rose, and I agree with you one hundred percent, but it still doesn't make it any easier knowing that the Master punished them because they helped us escape."

She kissed his forehead.

"I know, and that's why I love you. You care about others unlike the Master and the other Doctor. It's just that sometimes you care a little too much and take on burdens you have no right carrying in the first place."

He ran her hand along his bald head and kissed his lips.

"Tell you what, why don't we go for a little walk? Get some fresh air and get out of this bedroom. It does no good for you to lie here tormenting yourself with your thoughts. Come and have a little stroll with me."

The Doctor glanced at her for a moment and then nodded. She gave him another kiss and helped him to sit up. Taking his hand, she helped him up and they walked out of the bedroom together.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter Thirty-Six

The Doctor had to admit. The fresh air and sunshine did help to boost his sagging spirits. Even though so much had happened in seven months, there was still much to be thankful for. The Master hadn't completely blasted the planet into atoms. Rose was at his side and safe, away from his enemies' clutches. Her head no longer held a chip in it. His friends were still alive. There was an ongoing resistance which meant that the human spirit hadn't been crushed completely. Martha was alive and well and busy working on their plan. Yes, there were still blessings that could be counted even when sometimes it didn't seem like it.

They turned a corner and paused when a Toclafane flew past. They stood still and let it fly by them. Then, once it was out of sight, they continued on.

As they passed by buildings, occasionally they would duck inside any open doors and observe the people. They would stand against the wall and watch as the survivors tried to make as normal a life for themselves as possible. The Doctor smiled knowing that his beloved humans were still surviving and adapting to their situation even after all the horrors they had been through. It was the reason why they had managed to survive and thrive even to the end of the universe.

They kept on walking and observing until they came to a house and heard a child crying inside. They glanced at each other and went inside. The house was dark and cold due to the lack of electricity. They walked into the living room and saw a haggard lady trying to soothe her crying child. Both the mother and the little girl were dressed in several layers of old clothing trying to protect themselves against the chill of the November day. The Doctor and Rose stared at them sadly. The mother's leg bore evidence of Toclafane attack and she had a severe limp as a result. They could tell it took a lot of effort for her just to walk.

"Mummy, I'm hungry." The girl said.

"I know, honey, but we don't have that much food. We have to wait until night before we can eat." She said.

"I miss Tobey, when is Tobey coming back?" she asked.

The Mother swallowed hard and the Doctor and Rose could see she was trying not to lose it.

"Honey, Tobey's in Heaven." She said as gently as possible. "Your little brother is watching over us, but he can't come home."

"I want Tobey!" the child cried. "I miss him!"

The mother gathered her into her arms and wept with her. Rose felt an aching in her heart. She had to do something to help them. She glanced over at the Doctor and saw there was a mixture of anger and sadness in his eyes. She looked back at them and suddenly she had an idea.

"Doctor." She whispered in his ear. "Follow me, I have an idea."

The Doctor looked at her. Curious, he let her lead him out of the house.

They walked down the street until they found an abandoned shop. Rose guided the Doctor inside, grabbed a couple of paper bags and began to load them up with canned goods. The Doctor's eyes widened in understanding and with joyful hearts, he helped Rose gather supplies for the family.

When they finished filling the bags with canned goods, some toiletries, and a couple of other essentials; Rose got another idea. She looked around and found some paper and pens. She grabbed one of the pens, and as the Doctor watched over her shoulder she wrote…

MUMMY AND SISSY,

I LOOKED DOWN FROM HEAVEN AND SAW YOU CRYING. I WENT TO GOD AND ASKED HIM TO MAKE EVERYTHING BETTER FOR YOU AND HE GAVE ME THIS TO GIVE TO YOU. I LOVE YOU BOTH VERY MUCH,

TOBEY

She glanced up at the Doctor.

"How's that?" she asked.

"Perfect." He said.

She folded the note, put it in her bag and both of them carried the supplies out the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When they returned to the house, they found that the living room was empty. They walked through the house until they reached the kitchen. They saw the mother standing at a cabinet looking with dismay at the two cans inside. Rose glanced at the Doctor and they sat the bags on the table and stepped back. They stood up against the wall and the Doctor pounded hard once on the wall. The mother spun around and her eyes widened with shock when she saw the bags sitting on the table. The Doctor and Rose smiled as they watched her looking around the room trying to find who could have left them there. She walked to the bags, found the note and the Doctor and Rose took each other's hands as she put her hand to her mouth and her eyes filled with tears.

"Thank you, God." She said looking up at the sky. "Thank you."

The Doctor glanced at Rose and he guided her outside.

"Rose," he said once they were out of earshot. "Have I ever told you how brilliant you are?"

"No, usually you're going on about how brilliant you are to tell me that." Rose replied with a wink.

The Doctor smiled and kissed her cheek.

"That felt good. It felt good to do something to be able to make a difference even if it was a small gesture."

Rose shrugged.

"Hey, it's the little things that count you know." She said.

The Doctor nodded.

"Yes, and I think we should help them out even more. Follow me."

He led Rose back into the house. They waited until the mother and daughter left the kitchen and then they went down into the basement. They found the fuse box and the Doctor opened it up and took a look at it.

"Fuses are blown." He said examining it. "I can replace them and hopefully restore the electricity in here so they won't freeze. Come on, let's go back to the shops and see if we can find anything."

They hurried back out of the house, pausing a moment to listen to the woman tearfully explain to her daughter about the bags. They smiled at each other and hurried on. They went back to several shops and filled up more bags of food and supplies for them. He found the fuses and some tools in another shop and when their bags were filled, they hurried back.

They went to the fuse box first; the Doctor clicked on a torch, gave it to Rose, opened it and began to repair the damage. Rose held the torch while he replaced the fuses.

"Times like this; I wish I had my sonic screwdriver." He said to Rose.

It was slow work, but when the last fuse had been replaced they were rewarded by the sight of the lights coming on in the house. The Doctor grinned when he heard the joyful yell of the mother and Rose turned off the torch. He stuck it back in his bag, and they went back up the steps. The Doctor glanced in and saw that the woman and daughter were standing by the stove, turning it on and talking excitedly to each other. They crept into the room and quietly sat the bags on the table. They backed up and the Doctor pounded the wall again. They grinned when the woman turned around and yelled with delight.

"Julie, honey, look more food!" she said.

"Yeah, Tobey brought us more stuff!" Julie exclaimed.

The Doctor and Rose grinned at each other. As they went through the bags, the Doctor ushered Rose out into the living room. He walked over to the heater, turned it on and breathed a sigh of relief when he heard it running. They stood and looked around the house listening to the sounds of joy coming from the kitchen before they quietly slipped out the front door and closed it behind them.

"That was so great! I feel like Father Christmas!" Rose said.

"Yes, I'm so glad we were able to help them out." The Doctor replied. "It makes me feel good knowing that they won't freeze and starve this winter."

"We oughta come back here from time to time then." Rose said. "And make sure they have what they need."

"I agree. I think we should make these two our little project." The Doctor replied.

They took each other's hands and squeezed them. They glanced once more at the house before they continued on their way.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter Thirty-Seven

(The next morning…)

The Master woke early. He glanced over at Lucy sleeping in bed next to him. He ran a finger down her cheek admiring his wife's beauty and then rose to get dressed.

Once he was finished, he walked to his office and sat down in his chair. He called out summoning a Toclafane to him. A few seconds passed and a Toclafane appeared next to him.

"Gather your people together. I have a mission for all of you."

"Yes, Master?" the Toclafane said.

He grinned.

"Tell everyone to fly to the island of Japan and annihilate it. Kill everyone without mercy."

"Yes, Master."

The Toclafane vanished. The Master got up from his seat.

"Now to sic my dog on the Doctor and Rose." He said going out the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Martha stepped outside the door of Toshi and Yoko's house. Another successful talk to about forty people had taken place the night before. What was even better, the people had promised that they would spread her message to anyone they could find making Martha's job all the easier. With any luck, her message would spread far and wide and she wouldn't have to go to as many places.

She glanced up at the sky and frowned when she noticed a huge black mass descending towards them. She stared at it in confusion for a moment as the mass got bigger and then it suddenly hit her what the mass was.

"Oh my God!" she said.

She ran back inside.

"TOSHI, THE TOCLAFANE ARE COMING! MOVE! YOU HAVE TO GET EVERYONE TO SAFETY!" she screamed.

She heard terrified screaming outside as she grabbed Toshi's hand and ran with him and Yoko out the door. The Toclafane were everywhere, blackening the sky and blotting out the sun as all six billion Toclafane descended on Japan. Martha dodged laser bolts as she tried to help Toshi and Yoko get to safety. She heard a scream and they turned and watched horrified as a laser bolt hit Yoko's leg and two Toclafane began to cut her up.

"Yoko!" Toshi said trying to get back to her.

"No! There's nothing you can do for her now!" Martha said tugging at his arm.

Martha gasped when he broke free of her grasp and grabbed an oar leaning up against a nearby house. Martha stood, frozen, as Toshi tried to hit the Toclafane away from his dying wife. She put her hand to her mouth when one of them shot a laser bolt directly into his skull and he fell to the ground dead. As the Toclafane finished cutting up his wife, Martha took the opportunity to dive into a nearby house.

"Martha!" a woman begged as she held her little girl close to her. "Help us! Make them stop!"

"I…I…can't." Martha said helplessly.

Martha gasped when the Toclafane burst through the door and shot at the woman and girl killing them both instantly. She closed her eyes and her stomach turned as the two of them laughed and began to chop them up into bits. Helpless to save the terrified people from the Toclafane's wrath, she ran over to a wooden table, turned it on her side and hunched down behind it, hoping and praying that they would stop their attack soon.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The door opened and the Master entered the room.

"Is he finished?" he asked the guard.

"Yes, Master." The guard said pointing to the lab table.

"Thank you, you both can go back to your duties." He said to him and the other guard.

They nodded and left the room. The Master walked over to the table. The alternate Doctor was lying there quietly staring up at the ceiling. He was still restrained, but he was making no attempt to break free. The Master put his hand on his shoulder and he looked at him.

"Hello, how are you feeling?" the Master asked him.

"Fine." The alternate Doctor said in a hollow voice.

"Good. Are you ready to go to work?"

"Yes, Master."

The Master grinned. He walked around him undoing the restraints. Once the last one was unbuckled, he stepped back and waited. The alternate Doctor was looking at him, but made no attempt to get up.

"Excellent." The Master muttered.

He drew closer to him.

"Rise and follow me. I will give you instructions on the way to the escape pod."

"Yes, Master." The alternate Doctor said.

The Master chuckled to himself as the alternate Doctor rose, got off the table and followed him out the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Ah, warmth." The Doctor said as he and Rose walked through the front door of their new home. "This place beats the Valiant, that's for sure."

He smiled at Rose.

"I love that we made sure that Julie and her mum can enjoy the same heat that we are enjoying."

"Me too." Rose said. "We need to go back in a day or two and do it again."

"I agree."

She took his hand.

"See, you still can make a difference even if you are an old and decrepit fart."

She giggled as the Doctor shot her a look.

"I'll just pretend you didn't say that, Tyler." He said giving her a stern look.

The stern look melted away when Rose giggled and he poked her side.

"Come on, Rose, let's see if we can find something to fix for supper tonight." He said.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A few hours later, the Doctor and Rose settled down. They had managed to unthaw some chicken and fry it up. They had also found some box of mashed potato mix and made that as well. Carrying their food to the living room, Rose and the Doctor settled down into the couch and the Doctor picked up the remote.

"Let's see what the windbag has to say this evening." He said.

He sighed when he saw the usual alert about him and Rose.

"You know they could put up a better pic of me, I look like a crabby old bugger there." He said.

"You are a crabby, old…"

She gasped when the Doctor seized the side of her neck.

"Wanna live? Shut your gob and behave." He said with a twinkle in his eyes.

He released his grip.

If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of these two, please contact your security officer as soon as possible.

Rose gasped as the Doctor suddenly leaped to his feet.

"NAH, NAH, NAH, NAH-NAH! YOU CAN'T GET US!" he taunted the voiceover.

"Doctor…"

He turned around, bent over and put one hand on the couch while he jabbed his finger repeatedly at his butt.

"Kiss my arse!"

"Doctor!"

The Doctor looked at her.

"Yeah?"

"What's the point of you doing this?"

"Um, it makes me feel superior to the Master?"

"Sit down, Doctor. Shut your gob and behave."

"Hey, can I help it if I'm feeling smug right now?"

Rose rolled her eyes and put her fork into her mashed potatoes.

They both ate as they listened to the alert. When the Master came on with his usual speech, Rose tried not to laugh and choke on her food while she listened to the Doctor taunt the screen and make crude remarks about the Master's virility.

"I'm older than dirt and I get more than you!" he yelled at the Master.

Rose giggled and shook her head.

"At least I don't have to enlist other people to volunteer to wipe my bum, you lazy slag!" he said.

Rose snorted out laughter.

"Geez," she said.

"You looked better as an old man, now you look like an effeminate tart!"

"Look who's talking."

She tensed when the Doctor paused and gave her a wide-eyed look.

"Although you don't look like the effeminate tart anymore, you just look like a crabby old fart." She added giggling.

He paused for a moment and then she noticed him eyeing her plate resting on her lap.

"Don't even think of it, Doctor!" she said putting the plate out of his reach.

She regretted that decision when he immediately began to tickle her armpits.

"Thank you for removing the plate so I wouldn't have to soil the royal furniture." He said as she howled with laughter." You're such a helpful companion."

He smiled as she slowly slid off the couch onto the floor, laughing, and he let up.

"That'll teach you!" he said, picking up his plate and pulling off a bit of chicken.

Rose swatted at his arm and sat back down beside him. She grabbed her plate and resumed eating.

"Hear that, Rose just questioned my virility and it's all your fault!" he yelled at the Master.

"I did not!" Rose said laughing. "Calling you a crabby…"

She paused when the Doctor shot her a devilish look.

"Calling you THAT was not questioning your virility." She said.

She paused.

"You old fart who is suffering from Alzheimer's and dementia and can't remember what I said two seconds ago."

She laughed and leapt up carrying her plate as the Doctor made a grab at her.

"It was a good thing you moved. "He said.

She chuckled as she sat back down beside him.

And now I would like to once again address the criminals Doctor and Rose Tyler.

"Ooooo, lookie Rose, the Master is giving us another personal message of love! I feel so needed!" he said poking her in the arm repeatedly as Rose swatted at his chest.

"You are hyper tonight, you know that?" Rose said.

He grinned at her.

"Hey, I had a good day today!" he said.

"Good." Rose said smiling.

"Doctor, I know that you are just dying to know everything I'm doing."

"Oh bugger, Rose, he's turned the Valiant into the Big Brother house now. Hunker down. We're about to be tortured with gratuitous shots of the Master prancing naked through the ship whilst singing at the top of his voice." He said as she shook her head and snickered.

"I just want to show you what's been going on in Japan where Martha Jones is currently at."

The laughter faded and both of them turned their heads and looked at the screen in silence.

"You see, I'm growing tired of Martha running around free so I've finally decided to take some action. Behold, Doctor, here is what Japan looked like after the Toclafane got through with it."

The Doctor and Rose gasped when they saw Japan in flaming ruins. The Doctor gripped the rim of his plate as he fought to control his temper. It cut back to the Master who had a smug grin on his face.

"Japan is now cleansed, Doctor. Everyone in Japan is now dead. They haven't found Martha among the dead yet. But then again, if she has a perception filter on…"

"YOU BASTARD!" the Doctor screamed at the TV. "IF SHE'S DEAD…"

"Doctor, she's escaped, hasn't she?" Rose said gripping his arm. "She can't be dead."

The Doctor was speechless. He put his hand on hers. Rose shifted closer to him and put her head on his shoulder when he saw the tears forming in his eyes.

"So, hopefully, that's the last we've seen of Martha Jones." The Master said cheerfully. "And for the rest of you who are thinking of resisting me, just remember Japan is now just an empty island and it would so easy to make the rest of the world empty as well."

He waved at the camera.

"Night-night, Doctor, sleep well, if you can."

Rose jumped out of her skin as the Doctor half screamed, half cried out in anguish. Her blood turned cold listening to her beloved screaming out his vengeance in a half crazed rage. Not used to seeing him this way, she put her plate aside and ran fearfully from the room towards their bedroom half scared of what he might do to himself or to her. She flung herself onto the bed and shut her eyes as tears flowed down her cheeks. She gripped her pillow and held it to her trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. She wasn't sure how long it was until he felt him beside her but she flinched when he felt his arms around her and she tried to move away.

"No!" The Doctor said crying as he pulled her to him. "Oh Rose, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. I love you with all my hearts; I'd never hurt you. Don't be scared of me, please!"

Rose wept as she snuggled into his arms. The Doctor kissed her repeatedly, sobbing as he blubbered out his apologies and his love for her, begging her not to be frightened and swearing he would never hurt her. Rose kissed him back, trying to assured him that she wouldn't leave him, that she understood why he had acted that way and that she knew that he would never hurt her. They gripped each other tightly, the Doctor sobbing and holding her close.

"My Angel, I'm sorry." He whispered.

"I forgive you, Doctor. I really do." She said.

She laid her head against his chest and listened to him, rubbing his back as he wept for all the people that the Toclafane had killed.


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter Thirty-Eight

The Doctor lay next to Rose listening to her steady breathing as she slept in his arms. Guilt plagued his mind as he thought of his earlier outburst. He hadn't meant to go off like that and scare Rose half to death. But, what had happened tonight was the culmination of months and months of stored up anger. One thing after another had happened to both him and Rose and the Doctor just kept shoving it down trying to ignore the rage that was threatening to erupt like a volcano and tonight the senseless slaughter of the people of Japan was the final straw for him. Millions of innocent people killed and all because the Master was trying to eliminate one person. He closed his eyes picturing the millions of terrified people running for their lives and hearing the sounds of anguished screams as the Toclafane killed man, woman and child indiscriminately. And the gleeful look on the Master's face when he reported it. The Doctor wished then and there that he could have reached through the TV and strangled him.

He glanced down at Rose's peaceful expression. She had never seen him in a rage like that. He had always managed to keep the darkness carefully controlled and hidden from her. There had only been a few times when he had let it out and at those times she hadn't been present like when she was trapped in the other dimension or trapped with his double or she had been unable to see it like when she had her face taken from her by the Wire and he lost his temper upon seeing her for the first time after that.

The last time he had let the darkness out was when he exacted his vengeance upon the Family a few months back. He had not let Rose or Martha see what he had done to them, leaving them with Timothy and Nurse Redfern while he let his rage run unchecked. He then lied to them and told them that he had taken them to a barren planet to live out the rest of their short life span. He hated being dishonest like that especially since they both trusted him completely, but he just couldn't bear them witnessing the cruelty he knew he was capable of.

His punishment to the Family may have been extreme even by his standards, but he had been furious at having been forced to turn into a human and subjecting Rose to an anguished silence as she stood by and watched the man she loved forget who she was and fall in love with another woman. His two girls reduced to being servants and suffering quietly while he romanced someone else had enraged him beyond belief. The Family had wanted to live forever so he decided to oblige them in his own little way. He had no regrets nor felt no sorrow at what he did, the people the Family inhabited had long since died by the time he did what he did, but he knew Rose would have been upset, especially at seeing Lucy imprisoned in the mirror. He sighed. Donna had been right about him needing someone to keep his emotions in check. The fact that he had to hide his dark deeds from the people he loved was evidence of that.

He felt Rose stirring and his hand went to her cheek trying to soothe her so she could go back to sleep. He hoped she wouldn't have nightmares after witnessing his angry tantrum. It was a wonder to him that she had been able to sleep peacefully at all, what with everything she had been subjected to in the past few months. Her eyes fluttered open and she glanced up at the Doctor. Wordlessly, she placed her hand on his cheek and he pulled her closer to him. She kissed his lips and the Doctor breathed a sigh of relief knowing that she wasn't scared of him. She had been through enough psychotic behavior with his double. She didn't need it from him as well. He wrapped his arms around her and sighed as he closed his eyes and both of them drifted back to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Martha climbed a huge rock and sat down gazing at the moon that shined over her as she watched the waves lap the Australian coastline. She had witnessed the slaughter of hundreds of people before she could take no more of it and teleported. She hated leaving all those people to the Toclafane, but there was nothing she could do. So far, she had discovered only one way to bring down the creatures and that was with a lightning strike, and short of becoming Storm from the X-Men, she could see no way of doing that on her own. So, reluctantly, she had to cross over into the safety of Australia.

She wrapped her arms around her legs as she glanced out over the ocean. All she had seen these past seven and a half months was beginning to leave her exhausted and jaded. It seemed like all her efforts were going to waste. She couldn't really understand why the Doctor had told her to talk to the people and tell them to think of him at one specific time. He had been rushed that day trying to get in the main points of what he needed her to know and had neglected to fill her in on what would happen if the people did that. She knew it had something to do with the Archangel Network, but for what purpose the satellites would serve in all this, she was clueless. She was beginning to lose faith in the Doctor's mission and question the purpose of it all. It seemed utterly outrageous and time consuming to run around the world and talk to people about the Doctor, many who had better things to do than to listen to her, and then tell them they had to think of him on top of it? She was amazed that people were passing the word to others since it was an odd thing to tell people, especially a bunch of total strangers. But, she loved the Doctor and she would do it for him, whatever her feelings about all this might be. He was depending on her and she wouldn't let him down.

She just hoped when a year was up, that all her hard work wouldn't be for nothing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack's face was strained as he gave another little tug on his chain. He had succeeded in loosening the metal plates after a lot of effort. He felt sure that in about a month or so he would have it loosened enough on both sides to be able to pull it out when the time came. The trick was doing it when his anal retentive guard wasn't noticing. That was a tall order, especially since after the escape of the Doctor and Rose the guards had become extra vigilant.

He thought of them often and hoped they were alright. Martha's family and Lucy had sacrificed a lot to set them free. They had brought a TV in and he had personally witnessed the torture of Francine, Tish and Clive as a warning to him not to do anything stupid. Seeing their agony had the opposite effect though. It made him more determined to escape and see the Master and the other Doctor brought to justice for their crimes. He hadn't seen Francine, Tish or Clive yet. The Master had given them time to recoup, but at the same time he allowed the ship to collect dust and dirt ensuring they would have a full workload when they were sent back. As for what became of Lucy, Jack had no idea, but he hoped she was okay. He sighed glancing at the manacles around his wrists. He hated being helpless like this. He wished he could have helped out with the rebellion. He had watched, powerless, chained to the wall while the battle went on around him.

He grimaced when he saw the Master walking down the corridor with the alternate Doctor behind him. Looking at the guy's face turned his stomach. He had heard about Lucy throwing the acid on him. He had no idea how bad the damage had been, but looking at him he could see that there would be no mistaking the two Doctors anymore even if his Doctor did manage to become young again. The man was hideous now.

They stopped in front of the chain link door. The Master peered in for a moment and then with a smile, opened the door and stepped inside.

"Evening, Jack." The Master said cheerfully.

"What do you want?"

The Master raised his eyebrow.

"To say hello, is that alright?"

"With you, it's never just a hello."

The Master thought that over.

"Yeah, you're right; actually I do have something else to tell you."

Jack sighed.

"What?" he said.

"I guessed you noticed my former associate standing behind me."

Jack looked over at the alternate Doctor who was standing by the open door with a glazed look on his face….or what was left of his face.

"Yeah, what about him?"

"Well, I have decided to go after your bestest buddies and bring them back here to me. You see, I miss them terribly and I'm sure you do too, so why not have the whole gang up here in time for Christmas? I could put up a tree, light a Yule log and we could have Christmas carols for my Toclafane children. How 'bout it?"

"I think I'll pass." Jack said dryly.

"Oh, spoil sport. Anyway, whether or not you want to participate in Christmas festivities, I'm still planning to recapture the Doctor and Rose."

He pointed to the alternate Doctor.

"This is why the incredible melting man is standing there with a blank look in his eyes. See, he was all for finding them which I agreed with, but he also wanted to kill them which I was not so keen on and so in order to prevent them being killed before the proper time, I was forced to take control of his mind. And now, I'm sending him on his way so he can find your friends and bring them back to kneel at my feet."

Jack snorted.

"Good luck with that. I'm sure they're both well hidden by now if they haven't fled the country."

"Maybe, maybe not, either way I get to relax, sit back and let him do all the work." He said gesturing back to the alternate Doctor.

He paused a moment.

"Oh, I know you don't know this yet, but earlier this morning, I ordered the Toclafane to attack and kill everyone in Japan. Seems that Martha Jones was there and I was too lazy to send people to search the island for her so I just decided to kill everyone."

He smirked at Jack's horrified look.

"Yup, so I'm sure Martha Jones is no more. So whatever it was she was doing is all for naught, I'm afraid. Guess you all will have to think up an alternate plan. Anyway, just wanted to let you know in case you don't hear from her for a long time."

He glanced back at the alternate Doctor.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat but I gotta get Scarface in the escape pod so he can begin his search. You just stay right here and keep looking handsome and I'll be back sometime to chat with you again. See ya!"

Jack glared at him as he turned, headed out the door and closed it behind him. He waved at Jack and he watched them as he and the alternate Doctor walked down the corridor and out of sight.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter Thirty-Nine

(One month later…)

Rose blew her warm breath onto her freezing hands as she entered the front door. She had just got back from another food run for Julie and her mother, Marilyn. Both of them were doing well and had now just accepted the mysterious food donations as a gift from God. It warmed Rose's heart knowing they were able to bring a bit of hope to the family. Plus, it gave them both something to do. Today, she had gone by herself. The Doctor had not been feeling well and was in bed resting. His aged body was more susceptible to sickness and Rose had nursed him with chicken soup and some TLC. He was almost over it, but it had sapped much of his strength, so while he was sleeping and recovering from the effects of the illness, she had gone out to the house in order to have something to do. The Doctor had objected at first to her going out alone, but Rose promised him that she would keep alert every minute she was out and he finally relented. So far nothing had happened to her, she was hidden from everyone and everything and she felt confident that if trouble did come, she would be able to handle it.

She closed the door and headed towards the kitchen. She put another pot of soup on the stove for the Doctor and went to check on him.

He was sleeping when she entered the darkened bedroom. She tiptoed towards him and looked down. He looked so peaceful. Tentatively, she reached out and touched the wispy strands of white hair on the back of his head. She pulled her hand away when the Doctor opened his eyes. He smiled and grabbed the hand, brought it to his lips and gave her a gentle kiss.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." She said.

"You didn't wake me, I was just thinking."

"I'm fixing you some more soup."

The Doctor groaned.

"Ugh, I've ate so much chicken soup, I feel like laying an egg now."

She giggled and stroked his cheek.

"Just rest here and I'll get it ready."

"No, I'd rather eat out in the living room, bring it there." He said to her.

Rose nodded. She walked back to the kitchen. By the time she got there, the soup was boiling and she took it off the burner. By the time she got it ready and put it on the tray with a cup of tea, the Doctor was in the living room watching the TV. She sat the tray down in front of him. The Doctor smiled at her as he leaned forward and took the bowl off the tray, he began to eat it while Rose went back to fix herself something to eat. She made some chips and warmed up some leftover chicken. She poured herself some tea and carried a second tray back up to the living room. She settled down beside the Doctor and ate her lunch as she half listened to the propaganda on the TV. For the past month, the Doctor had been searching for any mention of Martha, trying to determine if she was alive or dead. So far, there had been nothing but the alerts for them and the usual nauseating speeches by the Master. Every once in awhile, the Master spoke to them personally, usually to taunt them and warn them that they would be captured soon. The Doctor and Rose took no notice of them anymore. Rose dipped a chip in ketchup and gave it to the Doctor.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better, much better."

"Good."

They ate in silence for several minutes.

"Rose."

"Yes, Doctor?"

"I've been thinking. It's nearly Christmas. I think we should at least put up a tree." He said. "We've made it this far, we oughta celebrate."

Rose munched on a chip while she considered that.

"Be a pretty grim Christmas this year." She finally said.

He took her hand.

"Only if we let it." He said. "Despite all that's happened, we need to take time to count our blessings and celebrate being alive. Besides, I would love to sit in here at night with you and watch the tree. I'm sure we can find a really beautiful one in storage."

Rose smiled. The more she thought of it, the more she liked the idea of putting up a Christmas tree. It would be nice to do at least one normal thing for a change.

"Okay, after we eat, let's go see what they have in storage, yeah?"

The Doctor grinned and his eyes sparkled.

"Yeah." He replied.

They snuggled beside each other as they ate their lunch.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Where are they?" The alternate Doctor muttered to himself.

He had searched for a month, had been in nearly a hundred buildings searching in vain for his prey. At first he had tried to get the whereabouts out of the humans that he came across, but quickly gave that up when he could get no answer from the terrified apes. He knew now that they were using the perception filters, it was the only way they could have stayed undetected this long. He also figured they were still in the city. The Doctor wouldn't leave the country, not with his friends still imprisoned on the ship. It was up to him to find his double and Rose, but first he needed some idea of where they had gone. He had found their escape pod; the humans had cannibalized most of it by the time he got to it. He had started his search in the vicinity of it, but had turned up nothing and had moved on to other areas.

He adjusted the cloth that was wrapped around his face. He had taken to wearing it to protect his face and disguise himself in case the Doctor and Rose were nearby. Black, leather gloves covered his damaged hands and he had long ago discarded his double's preferred choice of clothing, opting instead to dress in all black with a heavy black jacket. The whole ensemble coupled with the cloth around his face made him look odd, but he was wearing the perception filter so the only humans who took notice of him were the ones the alternate Doctor confronted himself.

He paused a moment and looked intently at the few humans who were out hoping to see Rose or the Doctor among them. He sighed angrily when he didn't see them.

"There has to be a better way to do this." He said. "At least if I get a hold of Rose, I can use her to flush the Doctor out of hiding."

He slammed his hands on the brick wall behind him.

"Where are you, Time Lord?" he said through gritted teeth.

He had half a mind to create a disturbance. Attack some of the humans and wait for the Doctor to show up to help them. But, he quickly discarded that idea. He had no idea if the Doctor would be around to witness it and as much as he hated the humans, he didn't want to draw attention to himself. Secrecy was essential now and he didn't want to do anything unnecessary.

Sighing angrily, he leaned back up and headed down the street towards another section of the city.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Are you sure you can handle that, Rose?" the Doctor asked.

He watched as she struggled to carry a huge box back up to the living room. They had managed to dig out a medium sized Christmas tree and found some ornaments and lights to put on it. The Doctor was carrying that box while Rose volunteered to carry the tree.

"I'm fine, Doctor, you shouldn't be lifting something like this. You've been sick."

"I may be sick, but I'm not feeble."

He pointed a finger at Rose when she gave him a look.

"Shut the gob, Tyler." He said when she giggled.

They carried the boxes up to the living room. Rose took the box from the Doctor as he let out a sigh and lowered himself onto the couch.

"Just sit here and I'll get the tree up and then we can do the decorations together." She said.

The Doctor nodded. He settled back and snickered as he watched Rose try to assemble the tree.

"Shut up, Doctor." Rose said glancing back at him.

"What? I think it's funny. You humans always complicate things. When we had celebrations on Gallifrey, our decorations weren't in a billion separate pieces. Nope, we just got them out of storage and sat them up. No muss, no fuss."

He relaxed, admiring the snow-white Christmas tree they had found. It was beautiful. He was so glad they had decided to do this. They needed a little Christmas cheer after everything that had happened. He resolved to go back down later on and see if there was a small tree they could take to Marilyn and Julie. Not to mention they would have to get some toys and gifts for them as well. He smiled. Adopting the family was another brilliant idea. It was nice to have something to do that allowed them to focus on something other than their problems for awhile.

He watched as Rose finally figured out how to assemble the tree. The whole adoption thing was also useful in that it would give him time to sneak away and find something for Rose when she was out making the food rounds for them. He hoped he could find her something nice, although he knew that just the fact that they were together and safe was more than enough for her.

He watched Rose as his thoughts turned inward. Lately, he had been thinking of the Master and also about forgiveness. He supposed the Christmas season had something to do with that, but he just couldn't help but think that he and his old adversary were the only two Time Lords left now. His double he didn't count in this equation. He considered him an intruder. An interloper from another dimension who needed to go back to his own reality and face justice and execution. But, the Master…

Despite all the years they had spent fighting each other, the Doctor still remembered fondly the years that they had been friends. The two of them had been inseparable. Causing the elders no end of grief with their practical jokes and their antics. After all these years, he still held out a hope that the Master would see the error of his ways and reform. It was a dim hope, but he would rather cling to that than surrender to the knowledge that his former friend was now beyond redemption. There were times when the Doctor could detect a glint of mercy in him. He had been the one to age him, but aging him was nothing compared to the sadistic treatment he and Rose had suffered at the hands of his double. It was he that had truly made their lives hell with his constant taunting and humiliation and his rape of Rose. The Doctor had no empathy in his heart for his double. He had given him a chance to reform and he had squandered that. He would never forgive him for violating his Rose. No, he could sense no mercy in him the way he could in the Master. He would feel no pang of guilt sending him to the execution chamber.

"Earth to Doctor…"

The Doctor was jolted from his thoughts and he looked up at Rose.

"Got the tree up." She said pointing to it. "I was trying to get your attention so we could put the lights and the ornaments on it, but you looked like you were a million miles away. What were you thinking of?"

"Sit down a moment, Rose."

Rose nodded and sat down beside him. The Doctor took her hand in his.

"I was thinking of the Master." He said to her. "I was thinking of forgiving him for what he's done to us."

He waited a moment for a reaction, but Rose only nodded and waited for him to go on.

"My double is beyond saving, Rose. There is no hope of turning him away from evil, but sometimes I can sense something in the Master. Something that keeps me hoping that one day he will reform."

He glanced at her and went on when she remained silent.

"He and I go back a long way. We used to be very close friends, but…"

"Yes, Doctor, go on."

The Doctor briefly explained the initiation ceremony to her. Rose listened intently and nodded as he talked. When he finished, he paused a moment.

"When we were on Malcasairo, the Master…or rather Yana, as he was known at that moment, confided in me that he heard this drumming in his head and it had been with him all his life."

He paused a moment.

"When the Master went through the initiation ceremony, seeing the raw power of the vortex caused him to go insane. I knew about his mental illness, although I had no idea he was hearing drums in his head until he mentioned it to me."

He looked at Rose.

"When I was young, I was shunned by most of my kind. I was kind of an oddball. I didn't quite fit in with everyone else. That, and the fact that I was half human was repugnant to some people and there were some who avoided me and my family like the plague."

Rose squeezed his hand and gave him a sympathetic look.

"The Master was shunned too because of his mental illness as were all those who went insane after seeing the vortex. He and I ended up rooming together when I went to the academy and I was one of the only ones who didn't pick on him. I knew what it was like to be an outsider so he and I stuck together both for support and safety. That's how we became friends. We stayed friends until we left the academy. Then when he was given his TARDIS, he started getting worse. I think he realized that traveling through time and space could allow him to become powerful and become greater than anyone who had ever lived. It's kinda like what my double believes, except my double is a hell of a lot worse. The ability to travel in time and space fueled his narcissistic side and his ego spun out of control. He began insisting that everyone call him Master. He did what my double did and began to think of me as weak because I only wanted to help people instead of ruling over them.

He and I butted heads, but it was just heated words until the day I found out he was planning to use his TARDIS to travel to this planet called Carrous Minor and help bring about a military coup that would have installed a puppet government that he himself would be directing from the shadows. He was planning to use that planet as a base to take over other worlds. I went to the high council and informed them of his plans and he was arrested and served time. He never forgave me for butting in and stopping him and since then we have been bitter enemies. I have fought him across the stars for centuries and through it all, I've always held out the hope that someday I could get through to him, get him to change his ways and become the man I had known when I first offered the hand of friendship to him."

He put his arm around Rose's shoulder.

"I'm not dismissing anything he's ever done, Rose. Not by a long shot. He has committed countless evil acts including the ones he did to us. But, in a way, it's not his fault. He was harmed as a child. If they hadn't forced him to go through the initiation ceremony, he never would have gone mad. It's that madness that drives him to do what he does, these drums he says he hears in his head."

He looked at her.

"What I guess I'm saying in my long-winded, roundabout way is I want to forgive him. Is it wrong of me to want that after all he's done?"

Rose squeezed his hand when she saw the conflicted look in his eyes.

"I don't think it's wrong to forgive him, Doctor." She said gently. "You're not excusing what he's done by doing that. There are no excuses for his evil acts. But, if he was driven insane as a child, then, he's not in complete control of his actions. If anything, Doctor, you need to forgive him for your sake. Even if he won't accept it, you need to do it for your peace of mind. You have so much anger inside. I saw it that night when you lost control. So, much has happened to you, so many injustices, you need to release it before it eats you up inside and destroys you. You won't confide in anyone, not even me. I gave my heart to you a long time ago and I'm closer to you than anyone else and still there's so much I don't know about you. What you've told me has only been the tip of a very, very big iceberg. I keep telling you that I'm here, that I can bear whatever you have to say to me, but I think you're afraid that if you admit these feelings, people will see you as weak."

She put her hands to his face and smiled lovingly.

"And I will never think that about you, my Doctor. Not in a million years."

The Doctor gave her a soft smile as he stroked her face.

"I'm happy to hear you say that you're thinking about forgiving him." She said. "I think it needs to be done even if you never see him again. Forgiveness is a very powerful weapon. So, if I were you, I would use it."

The Doctor stared at her for a moment.

"You know, if I didn't know better, I could have sworn you were a Time Lady. You have so much wisdom, Rose. You are wise far beyond your years."

He smiled.

"Told Martha once that you always knew the right thing to say at the right time and you do. You have an amazing gift of being able to articulate and bring clarity to my thoughts. It amazes me. I think a very old soul resides in that young body."

He kissed her forehead.

"I'm glad you don't think I'm insane for thinking these thoughts. I thought I was going nuts when the thought of forgiving him popped in my head after all we've been through. But, you're right I need to do it. I need to let him know that for the most part I don't blame him for what he's done. It was that damnable initiation ceremony that started it all. What he does with my words is own decision after that."

Rose nodded. She squeezed the Doctor's hand and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Now that that's sorted out and you've made a decision, how about you help me with the tree?"

He grinned.

"With pleasure." He said.

She helped him up.

"Doctor?"

"Huh?"

"What did you do when you saw the vortex?"

The Doctor grinned.

"I panicked and I ran away."

Rose nodded.

"Thought so."

She giggled when the Doctor eyed her.

"What is that supposed to mean, Tyler?" he said folding his arms over his chest.

"Means you're a big, fat, baby chicken for running away."

The Doctor raised his eyebrow and started walking towards her.

"You never learn, do ya?" he asked. "I keep warning you to keep your trap shut and yet it keeps falling open and smartass things fly out of it."

"Did you let out a big, girly scream while you were running?" Rose asked. "Did you crap your pants? Did you…"

She shrieked as the Doctor tried to tickle her. She ducked behind the TV and the Doctor gave her an evil grin as he tried to get around it to her.

"Did you faint when you got home?" Rose said rounding the other side of the TV as the Doctor tried to grab her. "Is that why you have such a girly voice now? Because you screamed so much, you made yourself a soprano?"

"Oooo, now you're in for it, woman! No one mocks my manliness and gets away with it." The Doctor said.

He paused a moment and then with lightning fast speed rounded the TV and grabbed her. He tickled her and listened as she shrieked with laughter.

"Speaking of soprano…" he said listening to her high pitched laugher.

He laughed as he released her and she fell to her knees giggling.

"Now, let's see, where are the lights?" he said walking to the box as Rose got to her feet, swatted his arm and started to help him.


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter Forty

(December 25th, 2007, 5.00 a.m.…)

"Merry Christmas, Rose."

Rose opened her eyes and saw the Doctor looking down at her as he lay in bed beside her.

"Merry Christmas, Doctor." She said.

She kissed his lips enjoying the intimate moment of just the two of them in bed together. The moment was shattered when the Doctor slapped his hands together.

"Well, let's get to it. I want my presents. I'm sure you brought me a ton of them, after all I am worth at least that much, if not more."

He snickered when Rose eyed him.

"What makes you think I got you something?" she asked.

"There are presents under the tree."

"Those are for me. I'm rewarding myself for putting up with you and remaining sane through it all." She said.

She giggled when the Doctor tickled her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Come on, up and at em. It's time to get going." He said sitting up on the edge of the bed. "We gotta go deliver presents to Marilyn and Julie and then come back here for a little celebration of our own."

"Wait a tic, I gotta go put the turkey in the oven so it'll be cooking while we're doing everything." She said.

The Doctor watched as she rose from the bed and walked to the adjoining bathroom in her nightgown.

"Oh yeah, this in itself is a Christmas present!"

Rose paused and noticed him leering at her.

"Oi!" she said with a grin.

"Hey, what can I say, I'm a dirty old man." He said with a wink.

He chuckled when Rose shook her head, went inside and shut the door.

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The Doctor and Rose slipped out the front door of Marilyn and Julie's house. They had arrived there while they were still asleep, put the presents under the little tree they had given them on another day and left without a trace. They had left a bag of toys and gifts for them plus another bag of food. Happy that their mission was done, they walked down the steps of the front porch and headed back towards home.

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The alternate Doctor paused to rest against the outside of a house. The cold December wind blew chilling his body, but he took no notice of it. Around him, he could hear scattered sounds of humans celebrating the Christmas holiday. He ignored it. All that mattered to him was finding the Doctor and Rose everything else was inconsequential.

He had been searching since the early hours of the morning. He had been doing that lately hoping to catch them while they were sleeping. He had taken refuge in an abandoned house. It wasn't much, but it did have heat and he was able to get enough supplies to survive there for a time.

He leaned up as he readied himself to search again. Then suddenly, he heard them. At first, he thought he might be imagining their voices, but a moment later; there they were walking along the pavement laughing and talking to one another. He quickly ducked around the corner of the house before the Doctor saw him and watched intently as they passed the house completely unaware of his presence.

"At last, I have you." He muttered.

Very slowly, he began to follow them making sure to keep his distance and keep out of sight.

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The alternate Doctor paused when he saw where the Doctor and Rose had been hiding out. His mouth fell open.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" he muttered to himself.

He cursed himself.

"All this time I've been looking in dingy, little, abandoned buildings for them and they've been holed up in posh central!" he said.

He quickly hurried across the street to the door before the Doctor could spot him out the window. He paused and hunched down listening to the front door being locked.

"Aw, they've locked me out, what a shame. Lucky, I have this then." He said, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out the Doctor's sonic screwdriver.

He kept close to the wall listening as the sounds of laughter and merriment died away as the Doctor and Rose went to another part of the palace. Quietly, he crept to the door, glanced down at the sonic screwdriver and held it up to the lock as he pushed the button. He lowered the screwdriver, tried the door and grinned when it opened.

"Wow, this is pretty handy. I need to keep this little doo-dad after I get done bringing the Doctor and Rose back to the Valiant." He muttered.

He looked inside and when he saw all was clear, he went in and shut the door behind him.

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Rose and the Doctor settled down in front of the Christmas tree.

"I just checked the turkey and it should be done in a couple more hours." She said. "I'm making some mashed potatoes to go with it and found some cranberry sauce."

"Mmmm, I can't wait, but first things first. My presents! Fork em over, Tyler!" he said holding out his hand.

"You know, it would be more polite for me to open mine first." Rose said.

The Doctor pouted.

"Do I have to wait?" he said.

Rose nodded and giggled when the Doctor let out a melodramatic sigh and rolled his eyes.

"Oh, alright, if I must." He said.

He smiled when she giggled. Reaching under the tree, he handed her a box wrapped with newspaper.

"Sorry about the peculiar wrapping. The shops didn't have wrapping paper out when the Toclafane attacked and the ones that are still open didn't bother to put any out." He said.

Rose shrugged.

"Ah, well, it isn't the paper I'm interested in." she said.

She tore the paper off and opened the little cardboard box. She looked inside and stared at the gift in shock. She reached in and pulled out a can of motor oil.

"Merry Christmas, Rose, enjoy!" the Doctor said.

Rose fought to hide the disappointed look on her face.

"Thank you, Doctor, I love it." She said smiling at him.

The Doctor began to snicker.

"It's a gag gift, Rose. You don't have to pretend to like it."

He laughed when Rose smacked his arm.

"You are a pest sometimes, Doctor!" Rose said putting the can on the coffee table.

He reached back under the tree and brought out another present.

"Here, this is your real gift." He said handing her the medium sized box.

Rose eyed him warily.

"Why do I not believe you?" she asked.

The Doctor shrugged. Hesitantly, Rose tore off the paper while the Doctor watched her, amused. She paused staring down at the cardboard box.

"Well, open it." The Doctor prompted.

He sighed when Rose shook it.

"For Rassilon's sake, Rose, it's not a gag gift. Just go ahead and open it."

Rose opened the box.

"BOOM!" the Doctor screamed.

Rose jumped and glared as the Doctor giggled.

"Well, you were treating it like it was a bomb, so I figured I wouldn't disappoint ya!"

Rose shot him a look as he gave her an innocent look. She looked inside the box and smiled when she pulled out a black teddy bear with a red bow.

"Aw! I love him, Doctor." She said hugging it to her body. "Thank you!"

"There's more." The Doctor said gesturing to the box.

Rose looked inside and noticed a little wad of newspaper at the bottom. She pulled it out and shot him a look.

"It's not a gag gift, Tyler, open it!" the Doctor said exasperated.

Rose opened the newspaper. Her eyes widened when she saw the silver ring nestled in the center of it. She picked it up and saw there was a rose heart-shaped stone mounted on the front.

"Doctor, this is gorgeous." She said putting her hand to her heart.

The Doctor watched lovingly as she slipped it on her finger.

"And it's a perfect fit too. Where did you find it?"

"Well, I was looking in an abandoned jewelry store. Most of the stuff had been looted already, but when I looked behind the empty display cases, I noticed that lying there on the dusty floor. I brought it home and cleaned it up and hoped it would fit you. I figured if it didn't, you could wear it on a chain around your neck or something."

He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it.

"It looks gorgeous on you, Angel." He said.

"I love it. I'll treasure it always." She said throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him.

"Good, because I became a jewel thief when I nicked that. Keep it on just in case I get caught and sent to jail for a million years and you need something to remind you of me."

"Nah, I won't let anyone drag you to jail. I'll cripple them if they lay a finger on ya." Rose said.

She kissed his cheek and leaned over to grab her present.

"Here you go; you can open your present now."

"'Bout bloody time." The Doctor muttered.

He giggled when Rose swatted his head. He stared at the paper covering his present. It was notebook paper that had little Father Christmases, reindeer and holly drawn on it in crayon. He looked at Rose.

"Yeah, I couldn't find any wrapping paper either, so I had to make my own." She said embarrassed. "Please excuse my crappy artwork."

The Doctor admired the paper in silence for a moment and then very carefully, he took off the wrapping.

"You don't have to save it. I mean, it's atrocious." Rose said dismissively when she saw him set the paper aside.

"Nothing you do is atrocious, Rose." The Doctor replied. "You put a lot of effort into making it and I'm gonna hang on to it."

He opened the cardboard box and looked inside. He smiled when he pulled out a little book.

"Pocket guide for astronomers." He read.

His grin widened as Rose cleared her throat.

"I…uh…thought maybe you'd like that." She said hesitantly." I mean, I'm sure you know every star in the heavens and where they are and their names and---"

The Doctor put his hand over her mouth.

"I love it." He said. "The star guide I have is huge and bulky and old. I don't have a pocket one and even if I did, I would use this one because you got it for me. Thank you so much!"

He took his hand away from her mouth.

"You're welcome, Doctor." Rose said relieved that he liked it.

The Doctor looked in the box and pulled out the next gift. He frowned when he noticed it was a little black key chain with a pair of luscious red plastic lips in the center of it. Around the lips were the words Ego Boost. He glanced at Rose.

"Kiss the lips." She said.

The Doctor grinned and put his lips to the plastic lips. He pulled back when he heard a sultry female voice say…

_I love the size of your bum!_

The Doctor stared at the key chain in surprise as Rose giggled. Grinning, he kissed the lips again.

_You look great, have you lost weight?_

He snickered and kissed the lips again.

_Wow, I love what you've done with your hair!_

He raised his eyebrow and touched the top of his bald head as Rose bent over laughing.

"Gee, thanks, key chain lady, I'm glad you approve of my thin, sparse hair." He said.

"Hey, you need an ego boost about that, don't ya?" Rose said.

She giggled when the Doctor swatted her with the key chain. He set it aside and looked back in the box. He pulled out a small brown bear that was dressed like an angel and was holding a small felt bag that had FOR THE TOOTH FAIRY embroidered on the front in blue thread. He glanced at Rose.

"Is this some kind of denture joke, Tyler?" he asked pointing to it.

"Put your fingers in the pouch." Rose replied.

He reached inside and found a little folded up note. Unfolding it, he read it silently as Rose watched him.

My beloved,

I searched for just the perfect gift for you. Something for the alien who has everything and knows everything. Unfortunately, I could only find a book and a key chain so I decided to get this bear and write you a little note to compensate for not finding you exactly what I wanted. Know that I love you, my darling, and I feel blessed every day we are together. When we first met, I never imagined that I would ever fall in love with you. After all, you were a 900-year-old alien and I was a 19-year-old shop girl. We were as different as night and day…or so I thought. Little by little, I began to see that we were not so very different after all. We went from being two very lonely people to becoming a team in every sense of the word. Unfortunately, my Doctor, I took your love for granted thinking we would never be separated and it took a parallel universe to wake me up to the fact that I had something special. I ached not having you near and I cried every night begging God to let us be reunited. I missed your warm, strong arms, your playful, beautiful brown eyes and your lovely, loving voice whispering in my ear.

Then, came the miracle I had hoped and prayed for. Because of one madman, we were reunited once more and I vowed never to let you go after that. Since then we have had our ups and downs, been torn apart and reunited again. Been through more suffering than most people go through in a lifetime. Through it all, you have been my constant. You are the one I can go to when I'm feeling low or scared or depressed and you have the power to make me feel better. I can laugh and joke with you and be myself and you accept me, as I am, flaws and all. When I'm in your arms, I have no fear and with you at my side I know I can stand against anything life throws at me. These past few months have tested and tried us to the breaking point and there were times when I felt like I would lose you. But, God in his mercy kept you going and kept you safe. I was fond of you in your past life, Doctor, but I fell in love with you during this life and I hope I never have to go through another regeneration with you again because I love you to bits as you are. You are everything I've ever dreamed of, my heartbeat, and if this really is a dream, I hope I never wake up.

Know that I will never leave you, my Angel, and I will be at your side through thick and thin for the rest of my life.

Merry Christmas,

Your Rose.

Tears came to the Doctor's eyes as he lowered the paper. Silently, he held out his arms and held Rose tight when she fell into them and embraced him.

"Thank you so much for this." He whispered in her ear.

"You're welcome, Doctor."

He hugged her extra tight and kissed her cheek. Rose closed her eyes and sighed contentedly as she laid her head on his shoulder.

As they held one another, they were unaware that the alternate Doctor was watching them intently from the doorway and planning how best to capture them.


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter Forty-One

After cleaning up the paper, Rose headed to the kitchen to check on their meal. The Doctor slowly got up from the floor, stared at the gifts Rose had given him and smiled. He put the guide and the keychain in his jacket pocket and folded up the note and the wrapping paper and put them in his inside jacket pocket close to his heart. He put the bear on the coffee table, sat down on the couch and waited for Rose to bring the food up.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose grabbed a potholder and opened the oven door. She smiled as she looked in and saw the turkey baking in the oven. She lingered a moment before taking a whiff.

"Mmm, I can't wait to eat it." She murmured to herself. "It smells so good."

She leaned back up, closed the door and went to get a pot for the mashed potatoes, unaware that the alternate Doctor was resting against the kitchen island watching her intently. He smirked when a couple of times she looked his way and took no notice of him. As she sat the pot on the stove and busied herself preparing the meal, he glanced over at the knives resting in the knife block beside him, thinking how easy it would be to slit her throat. He grinned imagining his double's anguish when he found his love dead on Christmas morning. But, he was forbidden to kill either one of them so he turned his head back toward Rose and watched her making Christmas dinner, loving the fact that he had outwitted both of them.

He grinned when he got an idea. Switching to his respiratory bypass system, he stopped his breathing and crept up just behind her. He stood there only inches away from Rose watching her make the mashed potatoes. It would be so easy to grab her, shove her up against the island and take her. He could do any number of things to her and she would be totally defenseless and at his mercy. He reached out his hands to grab her.

Suddenly, he sensed the Doctor was coming. He quickly ran around the side of the island and ducked down just as he came through the door.

"Hey," the Doctor said walking over to Rose. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Nah, I got everything under control." Rose said looking at him.

The alternate Doctor slid around to the back of the kitchen island and crouched down.

"Smells good, Rose." The Doctor said.

The alternate Doctor hazarded a glance over the top of the island and saw the Doctor standing behind Rose holding her around the waist. He glared at them before quickly ducking his head back down. He rolled his eyes listening to them kissing and laughing softly. He wanted so much to jump up and surprise them then and there, but no, it was better to wait until they were asleep. That way he could strike before they had any idea what was going on. He would let them have these last few hours together before he captured them and forced them to return to the Valiant.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Good night, Doctor."

"Good night, Rose, sleep tight." The Doctor replied.

He kissed her on the lips and snuggled up against her while she held her teddy bear close to her heart. He watched while she closed her eyes and slowly fell asleep. He stroked her face as his innocent Rose slept peacefully. He made a mental image of her face knowing that it would be a long time before he saw her at rest again. He knew that his double was in the house waiting to strike. He had sensed him watching them open the presents. That was why he had decided to check up on Rose while she was cooking dinner, and to his horror, he realized that he had been in the kitchen with her. He had managed to catch him ducking behind the kitchen island right as he entered. His throat tightened thinking of Rose standing there not knowing that danger was lurking just behind her. He shuddered to think what might have happened if he hadn't come in. He had kept her near him after that making sure she was safe while they ate their dinner and enjoyed the last few precious hours of peace. He hadn't told Rose about him being there. He didn't want her to spend Christmas day terrified of the moment he would strike and have that fear ruin the holiday for her. He knew it was not an option for him, he would have to go back, but just because he was doomed to return didn't mean she had to go back with him. So he made up his mind that he would put up just enough of a struggle to let her get away. He was the one the Master wanted anyway.

But as he thought of that, he realized that wasn't an option either. When they destroyed the paradox machine and reversed time, not only would Rose forget everything that had happened, but the chip would also be back inside her head. He stroked the side of her face; his hearts aching knowing that she had no choice either.

_Oh my Rose, forgive me for doing this to you._ He thought to himself_. I know that you love me and will go back with me willingly, but still I don't like the thought of you being imprisoned again. Not when this past month has seen your smile return to your face and the light return to your eyes. I'm sorry for getting you mixed up in all this. I'm so sorry. _

He reached up under his pillow and felt the butcher knife he had hidden there earlier. He had meant to use it to protect Rose from his insane double, but he realized that if she was forced to return with him, attacking the alternate Doctor would only make things worse for her. There was only one thing to do. He needed to talk to his double and surrender himself before Rose ended up getting injured. He kissed her gently on the forehead and got up from the bed hoping that his double would follow him and leave Rose alone.

He walked to the living room and paused, staring at the brown angel bear still on the coffee table. Sighing, he pushed back his emotions and steeled himself for what lay ahead for him and for Rose.

"I know you're here, Doctor." He said aloud. "Come out of hiding. I wish to speak to you."

He glanced over when the alternate Doctor entered the room from the same door he had just entered. Pushing down his anger, he turned to face him. He paused a moment noticing the Doctor's eye through the cloth covering his face. He smirked when he noticed it looked glazed.

_You see, Doctor, I was right about the Master._ He thought.

The fact that he was hypnotized made the Doctor hopeful. If the Master was controlling his double, he wouldn't be likely to go out of control, go on a rampage and hurt Rose. Her safety was all that concerned him, both now and in the last few months they had left.

"I wish to surrender before there is any violence." The Doctor said.

"Good. Then you and the ape get your things and follow me."

"I wasn't finished." The Doctor said angrily.

The alternate Doctor sighed.

"Of course not, the old windbag always has to speak more than a few words." He muttered to himself.

The Doctor ignored him.

"Rose is to remain unharmed, tonight and on the ship. If a finger is laid on her, I will fight you and the Master and the Toclafane until I take my last breath in my last body."

"Very noble of you, but I'm afraid it's not my decision. The Master will be the one who decides what happens to you." He said.

The Doctor bit back a sarcastic comment about his double letting the Master run the show and nodded.

"I ask then that I be allowed to wake Rose and get her ready to go back to the Valiant in peace. Which means some alone time. I don't want you standing in the bedroom doorway watching us and making rude and obscene comments. When we are ready, we will come into the living room, but I want a chance to comfort her and prepare her to go back to the ship."

"How do I know you won't use that time to escape?"

"I give you my word that she and I will come with you willingly if you treat us with respect and allow us to get dressed and get ready. I have come out here to surrender us both. I will not try to run and we will not take all night. She and I will get ready and be out here within a reasonable time. If I break my word, then you can come after us with all the vengeance you can muster. What do you say?"

The alternate Doctor folded his arms over his chest.

"Twenty minutes. Any longer and I will come in there and drag you out myself."

"Agreed." The Doctor said nodding.

The alternate Doctor walked over to the couch and sat down while the Doctor left the room.

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"Rose."

Rose murmured in her sleep.

"Rose, wake up."

Rose opened her eyes and looked up at the Doctor.

"Doctor?" she said sleepily. "What is it? What's wrong?"

The Doctor's throat tightened and he forced himself to speak.

"Rose, it's my double. He's here."

He quickly grabbed her when Rose's eyes opened and she shot upright.

"No, shhh shh, it's alright. He's not in here; he's in the living room."

"Then, let's head out the other way, Doctor. We can go through the bedrooms and down the back stairs and---"

"No."

Rose stared at him, confused. The Doctor swallowed hard and held her tightly to him.

"It's time, Rose, we have to go back."

Rose looked at him and she shook her head in disbelief.

"No." she whimpered.

The Doctor enveloped her in his arms, his hearts breaking as he heard her sobbing quietly.

"You knew this day would come, Angel." He said gently. "I told you this was only a temporary reprieve and then we would have to return to the Valiant."

He kissed the top of her head.

"I have made a deal with him; he will not hurt us as long as we get dressed and go quietly. He's given us twenty minutes to do it, so we need to get up and get ready. He won't come in here while we are dressing, I promise."

"Oh Doctor," Rose sobbed.

The Doctor stroked her hair.

"It'll be alright. There's not that much time left and we've had time to rest and get our strength back. We'll be able to get through these last few months. It won't be much longer, just remember that."

He kissed the tears away.

"Be brave, my Angel. Be strong. Just get up and get dressed. Take everything one step at a time. I'll be right behind you, watching over you. He won't hurt you. I won't let him. Just trust in me. I know what I'm doing."

Rose nodded. She threw her arms around the Doctor and buried her face in his neck. The Doctor let her linger like that for a moment knowing she was gathering strength from his presence. Then, reluctantly, he forced her to break apart from him. Taking her hand, he led her into the bathroom for the start of what would be a long night.

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"Yes, Master, I have them both." The alternate Doctor said speaking into his mobile. "They're…in some huge, posh mansion. Um, it's got a ton of rooms and a lot of fancy furniture and paintings and there's this huge metal gate surrounding it."

He paused listening to the Master.

"Yes, it's in London."

He paused.

"How should I know? I have no idea what the names of buildings are on this planet."

Another pause.

"I can't right now. I gave the Doctor my word that I wouldn't disturb him."

Pause.

"Because he's busy getting his little girl ready to go and he agreed to come with me quietly if I let him do that. Since you don't want him dead, I figured it would be a good idea to let him have what he wants for the moment."

He glanced over when he saw the Doctor entering the room with Rose behind him.

"Wait, here he is, I'll ask him."

He lowered the mobile.

"This building; is it called Buckingham Palace?" he asked the Doctor.

"Yes."

He put the mobile back to his ear.

"Yes, it is Buckingham Palace." He said to the Master.

"Let me speak to him." The Doctor said.

The alternate Doctor glanced at him.

"Excuse me?"

"The Master, let me speak to him." The Doctor said, holding out his hand.

"The Doctor wants to talk to you."

There was a pause and then the alternate Doctor stood up and handed the phone to him.

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"My dear Doctor, how was your little holiday?" the Master said as he lounged back in his office chair. "We missed you up here. We had a lovely little Christmas celebration. You should have seen it. The guards even put on a panto for everyone. It was a shame you couldn't attend, but I guess you and Rose were too busy having fun on your own."

"Listen to me, Master, I will come back to the Valiant, but on one condition; no one is to harm Rose in any way, shape or form. You got that?"

"Gee, you talk as if coming back is a choice for you."

"Oh, it is, because Buckingham Palace is a big place and there are a hundred rooms to hide in. Rose and I have had a month to explore it and we're more familiar with it than my double is. If we wanted, we could lose him very easily."

"Then, why aren't you doing that, Doctor?" the Master said, curious. "It's not like you to give up without a fight even if you are concerned about Rose."

"Because I want to offer myself to you in return for her safety. I don't care what happens to me. You can torment me all you want as long as Rose is left alone and is free to be with me."

He squeezed Rose's hand when he heard her murmur "no." to herself.

"It's not Rose you want, it's me. So here I am, Master, willingly surrendering myself to you in return for that request."

"Okay, let's say I do leave her alone. What's to stop her freeing the others and staging another revolt?"

"Because I will not allow her to do that. She listens to me and I give you my word I will not allow her to cause trouble in any way. If she does, then the deal is off and she is fair game for you and my double."

He paused as he glanced at the alternate Doctor.

"And when I say Rose is free to be with me, I mean that she is not to be restricted from seeing me in any way. She is not to be enslaved and made to scrub the ship or chained to my double's bed and made into a sex toy. If she wants to be constantly at my side, then you will let her do that."

"You're being awfully pushy, Doctor."

"In what way? Because I'm dictating the terms of my surrender? What is Rose to you anyway? Like I said, it's me you want, not her. You've murdered my other companion. Let me have this one. I don't think it's that big a hassle to ask you for that especially since I'm offering you the chance to treat me any way you and your double see fit. Now, if you don't agree to my request, then rest assured, I will put up a fight and make it as difficult as I can for my double to catch us. I will make him drag me and Rose kicking and screaming onto the Valiant. Now, do you want that to happen or do you want me to go quietly? Because I can do it either way."

The Master sighed.

"Fine, Doctor, if Rose means that much to you, I will leave her alone. I give you my word that if you submit yourself to me, she will not be harmed in any way by anybody."

The Doctor squeezed Rose's hand.

"Then, I surrender to you, Master. Do what you want with me."

Rose shook her head as tears streamed down her face. The Doctor wrapped his arm around her and held her close to him. She laid a hand against his cheek as the Doctor stared down at her lovingly.

"Very well, Doctor, give the phone back to the other Doctor so I can give him instructions." The Master said.

"Here he is." The Doctor replied.

He held out the mobile to the alternate Doctor. He took it and talked to the Master as the Doctor wrapped his other arm around Rose and held her while she wept.

"All that matters is your safety, Rose," he whispered to her. "I can endure any torture they think up except watching you suffer."

He leaned into her ear and whispered loving words trying to calm and soothe her. He knew the last three months would be sheer hell, but as long as Rose was out of harm's way, he would comply with whatever they did. He closed his eyes and rocked back and forth slowly with Rose preparing himself for what lay ahead.


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter Forty-two

The Doctor and Rose sat together on the couch holding one another and waiting for the helicopter that would take them back to the Valiant. He had managed to calm Rose down and she sat quietly with her head on the Doctor's chest watching the alternate Doctor who was standing at the window waiting for the helicopter to land.

After about fifteen minutes, they heard it approaching the palace. The Doctor kissed Rose's head and took her hand as they stood. They watched through the window as the helicopter landed in the courtyard.

"Let's go." The alternate Doctor said to them.

The Doctor gave a reassuring smile to Rose and they followed behind him. As they headed through the building, the alternate Doctor kept glancing behind him making sure the Doctor and Rose were really following him.

"What's wrong, afraid if you lose us, the Master might punish you?" the Doctor said after the fiftieth glance back at them.

They walked to the front door.

"Just out of curiosity, how did you get in?" the Doctor asked. "I recall locking the door behind us."

The alternate Doctor reached into his pocket.

"With this little toy." He said.

The Doctor and Rose's eyes widened when he showed them the sonic screwdriver.

"Ah, ah!" the alternate Doctor said when the Doctor tried to make a grab for it. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. The Master could take back his agreement with you, you know."

The Doctor seethed as the alternate Doctor put the screwdriver back in his pocket and opened the front door.

"Come along." He said to them.

They walked out the door to the black helicopter. The guard piloting the helicopter got out and turned on a torch as he opened the doors. They reached the door and the Doctor helped Rose inside as the guard shone the torch on them. She turned and helped him in and then they sat down beside each other as the alternate Doctor climbed into the front seat. The pilot closed the doors and went back to his seat. The Doctor and Rose fastened their seatbelts and grabbed each other's hands as the pilot started the helicopter and it took off into the air.

They sat in silence watching the moon as the helicopter made its way towards the Valiant. Rose sighed softly and put her head on the Doctor's shoulder.

_Don't worry, Rose, nothing will happen to you._ The Doctor thought to her.

_It's not me I'm worried about._ She thought back.

_I'll be alright. I can take anything they can throw at me._ He thought.

Rose looked into his eyes.

_They almost killed you that one time._

The Doctor smiled.

_Yes, but they didn't. They stopped at the last minute, which means they don't want me to die yet._ He thought to her. _The Master is keeping me alive for a reason and I suspect it's so I can witness these missiles launching when the time comes. He always did like to show off. So, don't worry, Rose. He might hurt me, he might break a few bones, but you won't lose me. I promise._

He gave her hand a squeeze.

_Another reason why I know they won't kill me is because he agreed to my demand to keep you safe. He wants me to come along quietly so there's no risk of me getting hurt or killed. He wants me alive and well for something._

Rose sighed.

_I wish you hadn't done this. _

_Done what?_

_Convinced them not to hurt me. If you're going to suffer, I want to suffer with you._

_I have a feeling you will be suffering, Rose, once they start in with the torture._

_Yes, but I want to suffer pain with you. I hate that you go it alone like this._

_I've had more experience with torture. I know what to do to prevent my body from going into shock. I can go into a meditative state and keep the pain at a minimum. You can't do any of that, Rose, which is why I told them not to hurt you. I know you want to be there with me and experience everything I do but that would cause me even more pain and make the torture worse. I'll be fine. I'm a pro at this kind of thing._

He winked at her.

The alternate Doctor looked back at them wondering why they were being so quiet. He noticed the two of them staring intently into each other's eyes. He watched them for a moment before he suddenly had an idea about what was happening.

"You're speaking to each other telepathically, aren't you?" he said.

The Doctor looked at him.

"Bravo, you're not as dumb as you look." He said to him.

"Watch it, gramps! I may not be able to kill you, but I can still hurt you if you get out of line." He said pointing at him.

The Doctor looked back at Rose.

_Look Rose, the schoolyard bully is threatening to beat me up and take my lunch money again_. He thought to her.

Rose bit her lip trying to hold the giggle in as the alternate Doctor narrowed his eye at them.

_Um…we better hold off talking, Rose, before Cyclops decides to stop the car and give us a spanking._

Rose put her hand over her mouth trying to hide the smile as she looked back out the window at the moon.

The Doctor rested his chin on her head and looked at it with her.

"It's very interesting, this whole telepathic link you have with her." The alternate Doctor said.

"Glad you think so." The Doctor said not looking at him.

"It's because of the whole Bad Wolf thing, isn't it?"

The Doctor said nothing, but he felt the rage rising within him thinking of what he did to Rose to obtain that little tidbit.

"Why was she even able to survive that, Doctor?"

"She survived because Rose is no ordinary human." The Doctor replied giving her hands a squeeze.

"So the Master says."

The Doctor finally looked at him.

"What does that mean? The Master barely knows Rose." He said to him.

"He said that you choose your companions because they are above the average person."

"Yes, I do." The Doctor replied, turning his head back to the window.

"Well, Martha must have been a fluke then since she didn't survive the Toclafane attack."

Rose squeezed his hand when she felt him tensing his body and sensed he was about to go off on his double.

_Fluke indeed, I'd like to see him walk halfway across the world by himself._ The Doctor thought to Rose.

_Just ignore it, Doctor. He's just trying to make you angry. Don't listen to the stupid git._ Rose thought back.

"Well?" the alternate Doctor said.

"Well, what?"

"Was she a fluke?"

Rose squeezed his hands as the Doctor turned his head and glared at him.

"As I was just thinking to Rose, I would like to see you walk halfway across the world by yourself. Martha may have died in Japan, but at least she made it that far, which seems extraordinary to me. Not to mention the fact that she since she has traveled with me, she has battled a Plasmavore, Carrionites, and the Cult of Skaro. Both her and Rose fought against the Family, Sontarians, Ice Warriors, the Zombie Queen, the Ruby Witch, and Baltazar, the scourge of the galaxy and both of them walked away from those encounters. And let's not forget the fact that Rose has survived a fight with a Slithra and the mind raper machine and is sitting here perfectly healthy and sane. I assure you, neither of my girls is a "fluke"."

"Damn straight." Rose muttered.

"I'm proud of them and every other companion I've ever had. All have risen to the challenge of traveling with me and did more than their fair share. Rose is just one more example of that. I knew she was something special when I first met her. That's why when she declined my offer to travel with me, I went back and offered her the invitation again. I knew what she was and what she could do even when she couldn't see it herself. Martha is the same way. The Master's right. I don't just pick people on a whim; they have to be something special to get a room on my TARDIS. That's another difference between you and me; I actually see the value of having other people around to help me out. The way I see it, why be a lone wolf when you can travel with a Bad Wolf?"

Rose giggled at that and the Doctor squeezed her hand.

"If she's so special, then why did you beg the Master not to hurt her? Can't she take care of herself?"

The Doctor sighed angrily.

"Yes, she can take care of herself and she can withstand pain if she has to, but I don't want her to go through torture if she doesn't have to."

The Doctor gave him a pointed look.

"And the reason I made the deal is because I love Rose deeply, and when you love someone like that you don't want to see them in pain of any kind. This is why you don't love her. In your mind, Rose is not someone that you can love and cherish and care for. She's something you can use and degrade and bend to your will. That's why you raped her. It wasn't about love when you did that, it was all about power and control and domination. You hated that Rose wasn't afraid of you and wasn't trembling at your feet, so you did what all filthy rapists do. You used sex to humiliate her and make her feel like less of a human being so you could kill her spirit, exact your will on her and get her to obey your commands. Luckily, Rose is stronger than that, because if you had broken her spirit, I guarantee you, you would have lain in a thousand separate pieces on the deck of the Valiant. I don't care how old I am now, if Rose or anyone else I care for is threatened, I will fight like a lion to protect them. This is what I did the day I got her off the Valiant. I was able to muster up the strength and the will to battle my way to the escape pod because I was getting her away from you and your sadistic cruelty! That's what loving someone does to a person and it's why you'll never defeat me or her no matter how hard you try!"

He turned back to the window as Rose sighed contentedly and leaned her head onto his chest. The Doctor rubbed her side as the alternate Doctor stared at them silently.

A few minutes later, the helicopter finally reached the Valiant and settled down onto the runway. The Doctor and Rose unbuckled their seatbelts as several armed guards ran up and opened the door. The Doctor smiled and winked at Rose, took her hand and both of them got out of the helicopter ready to face whatever lay ahead.


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter Forty-Three

"Doctor! How nice to see you and Rose again." The Master said as the alternate Doctor ushered them into his office.

He glanced back at the alternate Doctor.

"That'll be all. You can go take a rest now." He said to him.

The alternate Doctor frowned.

"But shouldn't I stay here and---"

"That will be all!" the Master said glaring at him.

The alternate Doctor stood still for a moment as a flicker of resistance shown in his eye and then he turned, walked out the door and shut it.

"I hate it when I have to repeat my orders to people." He said to them.

"You hypnotized him." The Doctor said.

"That I did and good thing too, he was starting to believe he was in charge of things around here."

He pointed to two seats in front of his desk.

"Would you? I'd rather talk to people when they're at eye level." He said.

The Doctor and Rose glanced at each other and sat down in the seats.

"Thanks."

He frowned as he stared at the seats.

"Hmmm," the Master said putting his head in his hand

"What?" the Doctor asked.

"Well, steel restraints are supposed to slide out of the arms and back of the chair and keep---"

He grinned when Rose and the Doctor shot up from their chairs.

"Ha, ha, just kidding." He said. "There are no steel restraints; I just wanted to see what you would do if I said that."

The Doctor and Rose glared at him as he giggled.

"Ah, that was brilliant. I loved the horrified expressions on your faces. Made my whole night."

He gestured to the seats when the Doctor and Rose remained standing.

"Oh, go on and sit, I was just having you on. Honestly, people can't take a joke nowadays!"

He leaned back as the Doctor and Rose slowly sat down in the seats.

"Now, where was I? Ah, yes, your unscheduled departure from my ship. Very daring, I have to admit. All that teamwork between you and your friends, no wonder you didn't do anything for months. But, as much as I admire your great escape, I'm afraid I can't let it go unpunished."

"Before you do anything to me, I want you to let Rose leave the room so she doesn't have to witness it." The Doctor said.

The Master stared at him silently as he rocked back and forth in his chair.

"This present incarnation of yours, it's very sentimental." He mused. "I really don't recall you being this attached to one of your companions before. At least not to the point where you were getting all kissy-faced with them. Interesting. That's the beauty and the curse of regeneration, I guess. You never know what kind of personality you're gonna get with each new life."

He shook his hand dismissively.

"Anyway, it doesn't matter. What does matter is the situation at hand which is what sort of punishment should be meted out to you. Now, Rose is off-limits to me, that was our deal, yes?"

"Yes." The Doctor said.

He narrowed his eyes.

"I'm warning you, Master, if you lied and are going back on your…"

"No, I'm not going back on my word. Rassilon forbid I should even breathe wrong on your sweetheart. I'm just thinking out loud. Sheesh, this incarnation is rude as well as lovesick."

He continued to stare at them for a few moments before rising and walking over to Rose. The Doctor eyed him warily as he bent over and stared intently at her face. Rose gave him a confused look when he put his fingers on her chin and began to turn her head slowly from side to side.

"What…are you doing?" the Doctor said.

"Getting a good look at this so-called Bad Wolf. Not every day you meet a human who can absorb the time vortex."

He paused and stared intently at a spot on her cheek.

"Got a zit there, dear." He said pointing to the spot.

"Will you get away from her?" the Doctor spat out.

The Master held up his hands and backed away.

"Alright, Romeo, I won't touch Juliet anymore." He said.

He put his hand on his desk and leaned against it as he continued to stare at Rose. He scratched his chin thoughtfully.

The Doctor sighed.

"Will you quit staring at Rose like she's some kind of circus freak?" he said.

The Master looked at him.

"Rude, lovesick AND JEALOUS! Geez, this is one extremely annoying incarnation, I have to say!" he said.

He looked at Rose.

"How you put up with this guy?" he asked pointing to him.

Rose remained silent. The Master shrugged.

"Anyway, Casanova,"

He paused for a moment and then snickered.

"What?" the Doctor asked.

"Nothing, just imagining you as Casanova." He said smirking. "Anyway, the reason I am looking at Rose is I'm wondering all about this Bad Wolf thing. Is it still in there, to be precise?"

"No, I took the vortex out of her…"

"Ah, you took the vortex out, but did you take the Bad Wolf out? See, that's what I'm wondering." The Master said. "Is the Bad Wolf still in there somewhere?"

The Doctor eyed him warily as he put his hands behind his back and began to walk around the room.

"There had to be something inside her to protect her and keep her from dying when the vortex was in her body, you see." He said as he walked around the room. "After all, you died, did you not?"

He paused and stared at the Doctor.

"So, why did you, a much more advanced being, die when a human child survived? See, that's why I'm so interested in her. To my knowledge, none of your other companions ever did something like that."

"Why do you even care?" the Doctor asked.

He folded his arms over his chest.

"I was told by my former partner that Rose completely vaporized an entire Dalek fleet and the emperor of the Daleks without any effort at all. Extremely impressive, don't you think? Do you ever wonder, Doctor, if the Bad Wolf could be reawakened somehow, perhaps even…harnessed?"

The Doctor's eyes widened in realization and he shot from his chair.

"I swear, if you do anything to her, you will regret it!" he snarled at him. "You and I had a deal. I am the one you want, not her! The Bad Wolf is dead and gone. It went out of her with the vortex! Don't you think it would have reappeared by now? She and I and Martha have been through life-threatening situations and nothing has come to save us. If it were still inside her, don't you think she would have brought it out by now and vaporized you and my double? You can speculate all you want, but I can assure you the Bad Wolf isn't in there."

He moved closer to the Master and his eyes were ablaze with restrained anger.

"I'm warning you, Master, just this once, don't…hurt…Rose."

The Master regarded him calmly and shrugged.

"Just thinking aloud, Doctor, that's all." He said dismissively.

He moved back towards his desk as the Doctor sat back down in his chair and glanced at Rose. The Master sat back down and pushed an intercom button.

"Please come in here." He said to someone.

A moment later, the door opened and a guard entered the room.

"Please escort Miss Tyler to the conference room." He said pointing to her. "Get her something to eat and drink and make sure she is comfortable."

He looked at the Doctor.

"This is what you want, isn't it? For her to be safe and comfortable and away from this room while I punish you."

Rose gasped and the Doctor grabbed her hand and squeezed it while he nodded at the Master.

"Yes." The Doctor said.

"Very well. Rose, if you will…" he said nodding at the guard.

"Go with him, Rose, I'll be alright."

The Master let out an "aww" when Rose got up and kissed him on the lips.

_I'll see you later, Rose._ He thought to her.

"Don't worry, Rose, I'll bring him back to you in one piece." The Master said. "Just go get something to eat and relax."

Rose glared at him. He gave the Doctor's hand one final squeeze before she slowly turned and followed the guard out of the room. The door closed behind them and the Master focused his attention on the Doctor.

"Follow me, loverboy." He said smiling at him.

The Doctor glared at him as he got up from his seat. He followed the Master as he led him out of the room towards his torture chamber.


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter Forty-Four

Rose sat on the floor in front of the tent staring down at the tray of food. They had given her a couple of ham sandwiches, some cheese and some chicken soup. She picked at it for awhile before deciding that she had no appetite for anything. Not when her Doctor was being tortured. She stared around the room feeling her spirits start to sink. After sleeping in Buckingham Palace, it was going to be extremely hard to sleep in the tent and tough out the remaining three months. She hoped the days would pass by quickly, but at least for the moment, there was no chance of her being raped or tormented, but that was likely to change with the Master's mood. Besides, what did it matter if she was left unharmed when the Doctor was suffering? His torment was her torment so even if she wasn't being tortured physically, she was being tortured mentally. So, the Doctor really hadn't accomplished anything with his deal.

She barely acknowledged the door sliding open. She didn't think she could bear to see the Doctor being brought in unconscious and half alive.

"Oh my God!"

Rose jerked her head up and saw Tish standing on the other side of the room staring at her in disbelief.

"Tish!" Rose shouted getting to her feet.

Tish dropped the spray bottle and rag she was holding and the two women ran to each other and embraced.

"Oh my God, they caught you." Tish said stepping back. "The Doctor, did they get him too?"

Rose nodded sadly.

"Yeah, he's with the Master. He's being…"

She trailed off unable to finish the sentence. Tish nodded in understanding. Rose looked down and her stomach turned when she saw Tish's right arm was in a sling.

"Yeah," Tish said looking down at it. "Part of my punishment from the Master for helping out that day. It's healed up a lot though, trust me. Mum and dad had their arms broken as well, but they're healing up like I am."

She smiled.

"I consider it a badge of honor. None of us regret helping you two out. I'm only sorry the sick bastard caught you guys again. How was it?"

"Not bad, we stayed at Buckingham Palace."

Tish's mouth dropped open.

"Are you serious?" she said. "You stayed in the bleedin' palace?"

"Yeah, the royal family wasn't there. We don't know what happened to them. But, the Doctor and I just moved right in. Nice and comfortable, it was. We didn't go out except to help out this family that we found."

She paused.

"Oh God, Marilyn and Julie, we can't make food runs for them anymore. I hope they'll be alright without us." She said.

She shook her head sadly as Tish looked back at the guards by the door.

"Here, I better go ahead and clean up in here while you talk. That's what I was coming in here to do."

Rose frowned.

"But, it's almost midnight now." She said.

Tish snorted.

"Yeah, well, the Master didn't allow anyone to clean while we were recuperating so now we have to work overtime to get everything spotless…or else."

She walked over and picked up the spray bottle and rag. She sprayed some cleaner on the table and started wiping as she looked at Rose.

"Did you two hear from Martha while you were down there?" she asked as she wiped the table.

Rose frowned.

"You didn't hear?"

"Hear what?"

Rose bit her lip dreading what she was about to say.

"Martha may be dead." She said hesitantly."She was hiding out in Japan and the Master sent the entire Toclafane army there. Everyone died."

Tish froze as Rose grabbed her arm.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry, Tish." Rose said hugging her. "I'm so sorry."

Rose took her hands.

"They never found her body though. So we don't know if she's really dead or not." She told her.

Tish nodded.

"Then, until I see some proof I'm going to keep thinking that my sister's alive. She's clever, Rose. If anyone could escape the Toclafane, it'd be her."

Rose nodded.

"And, if Martha really is dead, then she died bravely, helping to free the Earth from the Master." Tish said.

She glanced over at the guards.

"I better get back to work. It was so good seeing you again. At least you're okay. I'll tell everyone that you and the Doctor are back."

"Tell everyone I said hi." Rose said.

"I will."

She squeezed her hand and Rose went back and sat in front of the tent while Tish finished cleaning the conference room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor gasped as the Master quit shocking him for the moment. He was lying on a table and his wrists and ankles were restrained with leather straps.

"I really hate doing this, its hell on my electric bill." He said to the Doctor. "But if it teaches you a lesson, it'll be well worth it."

He flipped the switch and the Doctor arched his back as pain shot through his body. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists as the Master watched him dispassionately. He let the torment go on for a couple of minutes and then flipped the switch. The Doctor flopped back onto the table as he gasped and panted.

"I can't believe you willingly came back here for this." The Master told him. "You don't usually go so meekly. You could have taken Rose and run and hid, so why didn't you? What is the real reason you came back?"

He narrowed his eyes as he walked over to the table.

"What are you up to, Doctor?" he said.

The Doctor panted as he looked at him.

"Well? Tell me. Do you still have this vain hope that you're gonna stop me? Is that it?"

The Doctor said nothing. He grunted when the Master hit him in the face.

"Tell me old man! What are you planning?" the Master screamed at him.

"I came back here because I want to offer a truce between us." The Doctor panted.

The Master was taken aback.

"A what?"

"A truce."

"A truce? You came back here and let yourself be tortured for that?" he said in disbelief.

"Yes."

The Master gave him a skeptical look.

"Forgive me if I don't quite believe you."

"Yes, that's exactly what I had in mind." The Doctor said.

The Master frowned.

"What?" he said.

"Forgiveness. This has been going on way too long between you and me, Master. It needs to end now. We're the only two Time Lords left now. It's time to call a truce."

The Master snorted.

"The electricity must have fried your brain, grandpa." He said. "You're completely daft if you think I'm gonna call a truce now."

"Master, listen to reason…"

"No, you listen to me!" he said getting down in his face. "I will never end this until you are dead! I hate and despise you! You have caused me nothing but trouble! I'm sorry I ever considered you a friend!"

The Doctor swallowed hard.

"Then, if you won't accept a truce, please just listen to me because I have something to say to you." He said.

The Master folded his arms over his chest.

"Oh yeah, what?"

"I don't blame you for what you've done."

The Master dropped his arms to his sides as he stared at him in shock.

"What did you say?"

"I don't blame you for what you've done. It's not your fault."

The Master began to back up when he saw where this was leading.

"Shut up." He said pointing to the Doctor.

"It was the High Council and their initiation ceremony. They never should have made you look into the Untempered Schism."

"I said, shut up!" the Master yelled fearfully.

"They were the ones who hurt you and made you do the things you did. The drumming in your head is a result of the madness that---"

"NO! THE DRUMMING IS A SIGN THAT I AM DESTINED FOR GREATNESS!" the Master bellowed. "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!"

"Master," the Doctor said gently. "The drumming is a symptom of the illness that has plagued you since you were a child, nothing more."

"SHUT UP, SHUT UP!"

The Doctor took a deep breath.

"Master, it's not your fault. I for---"

"NOOOOOOOO!"

The Master flipped the switch and turned the dial up all the way. The Doctor's body jerked as electricity shot through his body. He fought to keep from passing out as the Master screamed at him.

"DON'T YOU EVER SAY THAT TO ME, OLD MAN! YOU HEAR ME! I DON'T NEED YOUR PITY! I DON'T NEED YOUR FORGIVENESS! YOU DON'T KNOW ME! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE ME, SO DON'T EVEN TRY TO PUT YOURSELF IN MY SHOES! I HAVE BEEN HAND PICKED BY THE VORTEX! THE DRUMMING MEANS THAT I AM DESTINED TO RULE OVER THE UNIVERSE WHILE YOU ARE DESTINED TO DIE BY MY HAND! DO YOU HEAR ME, DOCTOR, YOU…WILL…DIIIIIIIIIE!"

He flipped the switch off and the Doctor's body flopped back on the table as he fought to take air into his lungs. He gasped when the Master ran over to him and seized him by the throat. The Master stared at him with insanity in his eyes as he lowered his face to him.

"If this is the reason you have come back, then you are a bigger fool than I thought. All you have accomplished is bringing about your death. I will not allow you to live, Doctor and be a thorn in my side. You will watch my missiles launch and then you and all your friends will be put to death, and that includes your precious Rose. So enjoy her company because in a few months time you and her will be somewhere in the great beyond."

The Master brought his face inches away from his.

"And if you ever try to utter those words to me again, I swear I will bring Rose in here, tie her down, slash her from neck to navel and make her eat her own guts before she dies. Do you hear me? You want her alive; you keep your damned forgiveness to yourself!"

"Why are you so scared of three little words, Master? I thought you weren't scared of anything." The Doctor said. "Why does it terrify you to hear me speak three simple words?"

The Master stared at him in disbelief.

"You just don't know when to shut your gob, do you?" he said to him. "I just threatened to kill Rose and still you persist in defying me."

He stared at his right leg and smirked.

"Maybe I need another, better way of persuading you to shut up." He said.

He grabbed the Doctor's lower leg.

"This will not only teach you to keep your trap shut, it'll also prevent you from running off and causing me more headaches. Sorry, Doctor, but you asked for it!"

The Doctor heard the bone snap a few seconds before he felt the pain. He gritted his teeth as the pain shot up through his leg and throughout his body. He clenched his fists trying not to scream.

"Painful? Good. As old as you are, it should take awhile to recover and even then I doubt if you're going to be able to walk right ever again. You certainly won't be running around causing revolts. But don't worry, in about three months, you will die and then you won't have to worry about your lame leg anymore."

He went over to an intercom on the wall.

"Now, in deference to Rose, I will have someone come in to set the bone and put a cast on it. Wouldn't want your sweetie getting pissed off and starting a revolt of her own. It would be such a shame to make you have to watch her agony before she died."

He pushed the intercom button.

"Come in here." he said into the speaker.

A few moments later, the door opened and a guard stepped inside.

"Get someone to put a cast on his leg and make sure the bone is set properly. I'm going to my office so after you're finished, take him to the conference room and put him in his tent."

He smirked at the Doctor.

"Rose may not be cleaning the ship any more, but I have to give her something to do while she's up here. Everyone has to pull their own weight, Doctor. I don't run a hotel."

He took one last glance at the agonized look on the Doctor's face, turned and left the room.


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter Forty Five

Rose looked up when the door opened. Tears came to her eyes when she watched two guards carrying the Doctor in, exhausted with a huge cast on his right leg.

"Doctor." She said.

The Doctor managed a smile as the guards laid him inside the tent. Rose waited until they were gone before crawling in beside him.

"Doctor, oh God, what have they done to you?" she said lying down beside him and wrapping her arms around him.

"I'll be alright, I promise." He said.

Rose felt herself becoming ill when she looked down at the cast on the Doctor's leg. The ill feeling was quickly replaced by rage and she found herself wanting to do to the Master the same thing he had done to the Doctor. She was jolted from her thoughts when she felt the Doctor seize her by the arm.

"No!" he said reading her mind. "You are not to retaliate in any way, do you hear me?"

"Doctor!"

"Swear it, Rose!" he hissed at her. "Swear you won't do anything to get yourself hurt or killed. Swear to me you won't try to get revenge!"

Rose shivered staring into the hard, cold eyes of the Doctor. He saw the fear in her eyes and he softened his face.

"Please, Rose," he said gently. "I don't want the Master doing something to you. I'm alright, really. My leg will heal quickly. He made sure the bone was set properly. I probably won't be able to move like I used to, but at least he has made sure that I will be able to walk."

He stroked her hair.

"Swear to me you won't do anything, please."

Rose nodded.

"I…I swear, Doctor." She said. "I won't get back at them."

The Doctor nodded.

"Good, because we don't need them breathing down our necks and watching our every move. Hopefully, the Master will let down his guard now since he thinks I can't stage another revolt. Regardless of that I want you here with me so I can keep an eye on you. The Master is interested in the whole Bad Wolf thing. I'm not sure how far he's willing to take it, but I'd rather be around to fight him off if he tries to take you to the lab for experimentation."

"Doctor, the Bad Wolf, if it still is inside me, I don't know how to bring it back." She said.

"I know that and you know that, but apparently the Master thinks you can just turn it on and off like a light switch. You heard him though, he wants to harness the power, presumably as a weapon, and I'm sure the methods he has to try to draw it out of you aren't pleasant, which is why I'd rather you not draw attention to yourself."

He kissed her cheek.

"Our time will come, just let this go." He said. "It's between him and me anyway."

He fell into silence as Rose laid her head on his chest.

"I tried to tell him. I tried to tell him I forgave him. That's partly why he broke my leg. He didn't want to hear so he shocked my body and screamed at me to drown me out. He's afraid of me forgiving him. He wants me to be just as bitter and angry as he is because it gives him an excuse to keep the battle going. He won't stop until I'm dead, which is why I have to stop him first."

He sighed and put a hand to his head.

"Damn those drums in his head keeping him from thinking straight." He muttered. "If only I could get through to him, make him see reason. Make him see that we need to stick together now that we're the only two left. Whether he wants to admit it or not, all we have left of our civilization is each other. He can break every bone in my body and torture and kill me, but it's not gonna erase that fact. He needs me just as much as I need him, if not more."

He glanced down at Rose who was listening quietly.

"That's another reason why he won't kill me now, Rose. Because without me, what is his purpose in life? He's built his whole life around eliminating me. He and I are linked together through the bonds of vengeance."

He laid his hand on her cheek.

"That's why I don't want you going after him for this. I don't want you becoming vengeful, because once you start down that path; the darkness it breeds will consume you and twist your soul until it becomes your whole identity. I don't want that for you. It's not a happy life when all you do is plot and plan how to harm and kill another person and eat, sleep and breathe revenge until you can't live without it. You don't deserve that kind of life. No one does, not even the Master."

He took Rose's hand and squeezed it. He glanced out the hole in the tent at the tray of food.

"You aren't eating?" he asked.

Rose shook her head.

"I wasn't hungry. I was too busy worrying about you to eat."

"Don't do that, Rose, you need to keep up your strength." He said.

He looked at the food.

"What did they give you?"

"A couple of ham sandwiches, some cheese and some chicken noodle soup."

The Doctor made a face.

"Ugh, no more soup, but I could do with a sandwich and a bit of the cheese." He said. "Could you please bring me some?"

Rose nodded. She backed out of the tent, picked up a sandwich and the piece of cheese and crawled back in. She sat the food on his leg and helped him to sit up.

"Ah, now let's see how this stuff tastes." The Doctor said picking up the food.

He tore the sandwich and cheese in half.

"Eat." He said handing the food to her.

They both bit into the ham sandwich and chewed it.

"Not bad, ham's a little dry, but other than that…" the Doctor said.

He glanced at the cheese and took a bite.

"This is pretty good too. At least they gave you some decent food." He said. "I think it's a sign that the Master is more intimidated by me than he lets on. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to the trouble of fixing food for you at this late hour. He knows what I'm capable of, even with a broken leg."

He looked down at his cast.

"It's not severe." He said to Rose. "He snapped the femur, but only at one place. If he wanted to, he could have broken it in several pieces. My body heals a lot faster than a human's. I'll be surprised if this cast is on more than a week."

He smiled.

"I'll be able to walk on it, trust me. I might have some trouble getting to my feet for awhile and limp for a bit, but hopefully when we spring our plan, all the damage he and my double did to me will be reversed."

He looked out the hole at the wheelchair sitting in the corner.

"Until that time, I have the chair over there and I have a sexy little nurse to fawn over me and see to my every tiny need."

Rose raised her eyebrow. He chuckled and wrapped his arm around her.

"We'll make it through this. Believe me, everything we've suffered through will be worth it in the end." He said.

They finished eating their food and lay back down. Rose snuggled against the Doctor as he wrapped his arm around her and rubbed her side.

"Good night, Rose." He said smiling at her.

"Good night, Doctor, I love you."

"I love you too. Quit worrying. I want you to sleep just as peacefully as you did when you and I were in the palace bedroom."

"That'll be a pretty tall order."

"It is, but you can do it. You are the one that has control over what affects your peace of mind and a broken leg isn't worth losing sleep over. I'm alive, in one piece and I'm here beside you. I'm in a little pain, but nothing I can't handle. Get some sleep, Rose. You told me that certain burdens were not mine to carry and now I'm telling you the same thing. I'm a big boy, so close your eyes and relax. Alright?"

Rose nodded.

He wrapped his arm around her protectively and watched as she fell asleep with her head on his chest.


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter Forty Six

(Two and three quarter Months Later…)

Martha stepped out of the alley into what used to be Times Square and looked around. She had almost done it. All she had left was the New England states and then she could go back to England, put the next phase of the plan into motion and finally meet up with the Doctor.

These past few months since leaving Japan had actually been easier on her. Her reputation continued to grow and people continued to spread the word about her and her story along with the instruction. Her fame had spread to the point that she really didn't have to talk to very many people anymore. That made it possible to go quickly through the southern hemisphere countries over to the tip of South America, up to Mexico, Canada and finally the United States. It had been an exhausting year and she was glad it was nearly up. Now she knew how rock stars felt going on long tours.

She started with her usual M.O. Find someone, introduce herself and ask them to round up others and meet somewhere so she could talk to them all at once then leave and go on to the next location. Except that whole scenario was becoming unnecessary now since the moment she let someone see her, they instantly went up to her, shook her hand and treated her like a celebrity. Martha hated that. The Doctor and his instruction was the focal point of this whole mission, not her. He was a far bigger legend than she would ever be and it angered her that people kept making up all these myths and tall tales about her. Still, she figured there was some good to all the hero worship. At least that meant they were willing to listen to her and not kick her out of town for being a loony. Not to mention, she was a symbol of hope in these dark times and a focal point for people to rally around. Anything that got people to resist the Master was okay in her book, so she allowed the rumors and stories to persist.

She walked through the ruins of Times Square and looked around at the devastated city remembering how just last year she and the Doctor had fought the Cult of Skaro here, albeit several decades earlier. Thinking of that made her think of Tallulah and Lazlo and she wondered briefly what had become of them before chasing that thought from her mind. She needed to focus all her attention on her mission.

Finally, she noticed a couple of people in an alley whispering to themselves. She stood directly in front of them and took a deep breath.

"Excuse me," she said loudly.

The two men jerked their heads around and saw her. She paused a moment figuring they knew who she was already.

"Oh my God," one man said with a heavy Brooklyn accent. "It's Martha Jones."

Yup, she was right about them knowing. She waited for one of them to come over and greet her. She was taken aback when they put their fingers to their lips and gestured to her to come with them. Martha stared at them warily. She knew the Master had spies scattered throughout the world and she was never sure if one of the people she encountered wasn't one of them, watching and waiting for her and plotting to kill her. She had been extra cautious after escaping from Japan and two people asking her to follow them didn't sit right with her. She was the one who wanted to arrange the time and place for the meeting for her safety.

"Look, I'd rather just stay out here in the open and talk to you two, no offense, alright?" she said to them.

The two men looked at her. The one with the Brooklyn accent hurried over to her.

"No, you don't understand, we're with the resistance." He whispered to her. "We have some information for you and a message. We can't talk out in the open, because the Toclafane are always patrolling. Just follow us, please, we won't hurt you, I swear!"

Martha hesitated a moment. The guy seemed sincere. She glanced back at his friend standing in the alleyway. She had a small knife concealed behind her in the waistband of her pants underneath her jacket. If they were lying, she was pretty confident she could use it to escape. She nodded and followed the man as he walked back to his friend.

"Name's Jonathan and that's Frank." He said pointing to his friend. "Just follow us we'll take you to the hideout."

Martha nodded and followed the two men down the alleyway.

They led her through several alleys until they came to a bombed out, condemned building. They walked up to the boarded up front door, moved several of the boards and ushered her inside. They followed her and put the boards back in their places. They grabbed a couple of lit candles and led her through the darkened building until they found a group of people huddled in the living room talking to one another.

"Look who we found!" Jonathan said pointing to her.

Martha stepped out from behind them and said hello so they would be able to see her. The people instantly began to whisper among themselves. A young brunette woman stood up and came forward.

"I'm Britney. It's nice to meet you." She said.

"And you." Martha replied.

"There's no need to talk to us. We know all about the Doctor and we know what he wants us to do." She said to her.

Martha nodded.

"Actually, I think you'll find that the resistance has taken it upon themselves to spread your message for you so you won't have to walk across New York."

Martha figured that as well. She nodded gratefully.

"We have a couple of things to tell you though. The resistance has managed to keep in contact with other rebels in other countries and we have gotten a message that someone wishes to meet up with you as soon as you land in England. He'll be waiting at Dover."

Martha nodded.

"Then, relay to this guy that I will meet him as soon as I'm finished getting through New England."

"There's no need for that. We've already taken care of it. The resistance has been hard at work making sure everyone knows of you and the Doctor and his message."

Martha breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, she could go back home and finally make all this hard work pay off.

"There's something else." Britney said. "A Professor Docherty wishes to see you as well. She says she's with the resistance and has wanted to meet with you for some time. But, we need to warn you about her. We have some information that she is working for the Master and wants to trap you. That is why she's so eager for you to see her. She has a son that the Master is holding hostage so she will continue to work for him. If she asks for you, make sure you stay clear of her."

"No."

The people looked at each other.

"No?" Britney said. "What do you mean?"

"I want to see this professor Docherty because I believe that she will aid me in my mission. You see I have to get back to the Valiant by a certain time and I think that woman will help me get to him. If she wants to meet with me then I'll certainly oblige her."

Britney nodded.

"If that's what you have to do, then so be it, but we just wanted to let you know who she's really working for."

"I appreciate it. I appreciate all the resistance has done. Keep on fighting the Master. We need each other more than ever now. The Master is only one man, but we humans are many. We are the ones who will be victorious in the end. Just keep believing that. Faith and hope is all we've got right now."

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Rose lay beside the Doctor and watched him while he slept. He had been right about his leg. His healing abilities had allowed the cast to be removed after five days, but it was still taking awhile for his aged body to build up the strength to walk on it again. He was very slow in getting up and he walked with a slight shuffle, but Rose was thankful that he could at least walk. The Master had not bothered to torture him further and the Doctor surmised it was because he didn't want to risk him bringing up the subject of forgiveness again. However, she had noticed that the Master would watch her intently whenever he got around her. She guessed that he was still obsessed about the Bad Wolf and it made her uneasy. The look he gave her reminded her of the alternate Doctor when he was mentally undressing her which made her even more uneasy. the Doctor's double was still hanging around, taunting the Doctor and Rose every chance he got, but so far he had not hurt either of them. The hypnotic influence was still holding on his mind and preventing him from exacting his vengeance on them, but nothing was holding the Master back and she was sure that if he decided to drag her away and experiment on her, there was little her angel could do to prevent it.

She chose not to dwell on that, though. For the moment, she enjoyed the relative freedom she had being with her Doctor. The days had flown by as he promised and now only a week remained until their plan would be put into motion. It had seemed like ages since the day the Doctor had been prematurely aged and she found that she had become used to his wrinkles and the sagging jowls and sparse, snow-white hair. She had accepted him as he was, just as she had accepted his new body after he had regenerated. He would always be the same inside no matter what he looked like. But, she had to admit, it would be strange seeing him young again after all this time.

There was still no news about Martha. TVs and radios were off limits to both of them and the Master was careful with what he said whenever he was nearby. The uncertainty tore at them both and Rose kept wondering if it was really true, if her best friend really was dead. The Doctor assured her that even if she had died, the plan would still go on. He felt certain that enough people had heard the instruction to make his regeneration effective. Personally, she wasn't quite sure about this whole collective psychic energy restoring him to his youth idea that he had told her about, but then again, she had witnessed stranger things in her travels with him.

Rose looked down when she felt the Doctor take her hand. He smiled up at her.

"Nothing like waking up from a dream about you and finding the real thing." He said kissing her hand.

He winked and his brown eyes sparkled when he stared up at her. Rose stared back down at him and felt herself falling in love all over again. He was still so handsome despite his advanced age. She felt that the wrinkles made him looked dignified and reflected his boundless knowledge and wisdom. Besides, there were still moments when she could see the thirty-something male in the centenarian's face, moments like now when he was smiling and his eyes were filled with warmth and love at seeing her. She leaned over and kissed his forehead as the Doctor closed his eyes and sighed contentedly.

"Tish or Francine been in today yet?" the Doctor asked opening his eyes.

"Not yet, it's almost time though."

"What time is it?" he asked Rose.

"Nearly three."

"Blimey, I slept that long? I really am an old man." The Doctor replied putting his arm behind his head. "I remember when I only needed a few hours sleep every so often to keep going and now I'm just constantly out. I'm like a bloody cat now."

He heard the swish of the door opening.

"That'll be one of them then." He said as Rose helped him sit up. "Whose turn is it?"

"Tish, Francine did it yesterday."

"Well, pull back the flap so we can say hello to Tish." The Doctor said.

She pulled the flap back and both of them were startled when Tish was already outside the tent with a huge grin on her face.

"Oh my God, I just couldn't wait to get here today." She said.

The Doctor and Rose glanced at each other.

"That bored, eh?" the Doctor said grinning at her.

"No, I have fantastic news. I told everyone else. You two are the last ones to hear it."

"Really, what news?" Rose asked.

Tish grinned from ear to ear.

"It's Martha. She's alive!"


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter Forty Seven

There was silence for a moment as both of them stared at Tish in shock. Then, a grin spread over the Doctor's face and he laughed loudly. He quickly remembered where he was and quickly restrained himself, but he couldn't stop the tears of joy that trickled down his face.

"I knew it." He said proudly. "I knew when they couldn't find her body that my girl was still alive. Good for Martha. Good for her! Do you know where she's at?"

"In the US." Tish whispered. "Near Delaware."

The Doctor and Rose looked at each other and hugged each other with relief.

"Oh Doctor, she's alive!" Rose whispered holding him tight.

The Doctor nodded and looked over at Tish.

"How do you know this?" he whispered to her.

Tish looked back at the guards and scooted closer to her friends.

"I took a chance and went up past the Master's office. I heard him talking to someone inside. He's upset that Martha has been found alive. He was screaming which is why I was able to hear him so easy. He talked about getting someone to find her and kill her."

"Let em try." The Doctor said proudly. "If she survived Japan, she can survive anything."

Tish looked back at the guards.

"Well, I better get back to work. I just wanted you to know what was going on."

"Thank you so much, Tish." Rose said. "That's awesome news."

Tish nodded. She got back up off the floor and walked over to the spray bottle and rag sitting on the table. As she began to clean, the Doctor and Rose looked at one another and with a squeal hugged one another tight.

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The Master sat back in his chair and sighed angrily.

"Damn that blasted child." He muttered.

He slammed his hand down on the desk and got up. He looked over at Lucy sitting on the couch, staring at him timidly. She had a slight bruise around her right eye from the punishment she received when she had tried to go visit the Doctor and Rose. He shook his head. Despite his threats about hypnotizing her to the point of mindlessness, he still wasn't able to go through with it. He cared for Lucy and he just couldn't stand the thought of being married to a zombie, so he decided he would be merciful with her. He had used a higher setting on the hypno-ray, but still allowed her a little bit of mental freedom so he could interact with her. But, ever since the Doctor and Rose had returned, she had been trying to see them by herself so she could talk to them. He was angry at her disobedience and knew she needed to be punished, but instead of hypnotizing her further, he had instead resorted to beating her as a way to keep her in line. So, far it was working, she was more respectful of him now and obeyed him to the letter and that suited him just fine.

He turned from her to the alternate Doctor sitting in a chair beside the desk.

"What did you expect, Master?" he said shrugging.

"I expected her to die, that's what I expected."

"Yes, but as you keep telling me, she is unique."

"But how? How did she escape? Toclafane were everywhere, shooting everything in sight. There is no way she could have gotten off of the island without being detected."

He stood at his office window for a moment looking out at the clouds. He suddenly had a thought and turned to the alternate Doctor.

"You know, I think the answer has been staring us in the face all along. We just haven't paid attention to it."

"What do you mean?" the alternate Doctor said.

The Master didn't answer him. Instead, he walked over to the intercom.

"Come in here please."

A moment later, the door slid open and a guard stepped inside.

"Yes, Master."

"Round up a couple of guards, go get Jack Harkness and take him to the torture chamber. I want to talk to pretty boy personally.

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By the time the Master entered the torture chamber; Jack had already been restrained and was glaring at him.

"Hello there, Harkness. Nice to see you again." The Master said closing the door.

"What do you want?" Jack said angrily.

"Some information."

Jack snorted.

"Well, you might as well take me back to my spot because I'm not talking."

"Oh really? Well, we shall see about that." The Master said.

He walked over to a drawer, pulled out a syringe and a bottle filled with clear liquid and began to fill the syringe up.

"What is that?" Jack asked.

"Sodium pentothal AKA truth serum. Now, I'd rather talk to you without your eyes glazed over. After all, we are both sensible adults, so I'll give you a chance to tell me what I want to know before I drug you up. So, here goes."

He laid the syringe on the counter, walked over to Jack, pulled up a chair and sat down beside him.

"What I want to know is how did all of you get back from the year 100 trillion? What did you use?"

Jack glared at him.

"I'm waiting, handsome Jack. Do you really want sodium pentothal running through your veins because you know I could ask you just about anything personal and embarrassing and then have it broadcast around the world for my amusement."

Jack glanced over at the syringe. He knew that the moment when the plan would be enacted was just days away, so there was no harm in telling him now. Besides, he didn't want to risk being drugged in case the Master started asking him about Martha's real mission. He let out a sigh pretending to relent.

"I have a vortex manipulator." He said to him. "I'm an ex-time agent but I still carry it with me. The Doctor used it to bring us back to the present."

The Master let out an angry sigh.

"Should have known it'd be something simple like that." He muttered to himself. "Okay, so this vortex manipulator, this is what Martha is using to get around?"

Jack hesitated as he pretended to resist answering.

"Answer me, Harkness; I don't think you'd want to see me resort to dragging one of your friends in here and torturing them to get you to talk."

Jack let out another sigh.

"Yes, the Doctor gave it to her. It acts as a teleportation device also."

"Ah, so finally the truth comes out. She's been going all over the world looking for the parts of this so-called anti-regeneration gun so she can kill me, yes?"

Jack suppressed a smile.

"Yes." He said secretly rejoicing that the Master had latched on to the wrong story.

"Good, that was all I needed to know then, Harkness. You can go back to your cozy little corner."

Jack stuck his tongue out at him and flipped him off when the Master turned his back and walked to the intercom.

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"Okay," the Master said entering his office and looking at the alternate Doctor still sitting in his chair. "I now have the answer we have been searching for."

"Really, what is it?"

"Harkness gave her a vortex manipulator that he owned to use as a teleport device. That's how they got back from the future, how she escaped off the Valiant and how she got out of Japan alive. The little brat's been teleporting herself all around the world all this time looking for the parts of that gun."

"Wow, you got all of this out of him that fast? What method did you use on him to get the truth out?"

"I sat down and asked him the question and he answered."

The alternate Doctor stared at him.

"And that's it? He answered without any coercion and you actually believe him?"

"Oh, I did a little coercion. I threatened to use truth serum on him and torture his friends if he didn't talk. Luckily the man saw reason and cooperated. It's refreshing after torturing the Doctor. I do hate torturing people. Tires me out."

"I'm not sure about this."

"Who cares? I am sure. It makes perfect sense. Vortex manipulators are small, compact devices so they could have carried it on their bodies without us detecting it. They are used as both a time travel and teleport device so it fits in with everything that has been going on. That's the only thing that could have been used in all these different scenarios."

"So, what are you going to do about it?"

"I contacted professor Docherty and asked her to tell someone who is with the resistance that she wants to speak with Martha, because she has vital information for her. Hopefully, Ms. Jones will take the bait and fall into our trap."

"And if she doesn't?"

"Then I will send you down to bring her back to me."

"Shouldn't I just kill her?"

"No, I want her to die up here in front of everyone else."

The alternate Doctor sighed angrily.

"Why don't you ever just kill someone and get it over with?"

He grunted when the Master ran over and grabbed his bandaged face.

"Because I enjoy tormenting others when I kill someone! I want everyone to be reunited with Martha before I end her life. I especially want the Doctor to see his precious companion dead at his feet! I want him to know that his companions are not invulnerable just like him. It'll take the fight out of the old geezer and make it easy to kill him when his turn comes!"

He let go of his face and walked back to his desk. He sat down and leaned back in the chair, putting the tips of his fingertips together.

"There is another matter besides this whole Martha problem."

"And that is?"

"Rose."

"What about her?"

The Master smiled.

"I'm thinking of going back on my word and experimenting on her to see if I can awaken the Bad Wolf. See if I can coax the power out of the child. See, I've had that on my mind a lot lately and I think if the power is in there somewhere it can be used to devastate planets much more quickly than missiles can. With this Bad Wolf under my control, no planet will dare stand against me."

"And if the Doctor is correct and the Bad Wolf is no longer in her?"

The Master shrugged.

"Then, I take her back to the Doctor and let them be together at the moment of their death." He said. "Either way, I get to inflict more pain and torment on my adversary which is always a bonus as far as I'm concerned."

"He won't let you have her without a fight."

"Precisely why I'm going to be crafty about it and take her from him in a way he's not expecting." He said.

He grinned.

"I always did love springing surprises on people.The look on their faces is always worth the trouble." he added.

He got up from his chair and walked over to the intercom.

"Come in here please." he said into it.


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter Forty-Eight

(Day 364...)

Martha stood on board the ship that was carrying her across the Atlantic to what was left of her country. She had opted to travel this way for safety's sake. She had no idea who this guy was who wanted to meet her, but if it turned out he was a spy, it was a lot safer to sail in on boat than to teleport in front of him and give away her secret. She looked out at the waves lapping against the bottom of the boat enjoying a headache free method of travel for a change. There were only five days left until she would meet up with the Doctor. She couldn't wait to see him and everyone else; she only hoped that he was still alive after a year.

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The conference room door opened and two guards snuck inside. The lights in the room had been dimmed. The only visible signs of life were the two guards standing by the door who nodded at their companions. One of the men entering the room pulled out a truncheon and they silently crept over to the tent. They paused a moment listening for any movement, but all they heard was steady breathing inside the tarp. One of the guards picked up the empty dog dish that was sitting near the entrance and carefully moved it out of the way. Both of them squatted down in front of the tent and looked at each other. Nodding, they each grabbed a flap of the tent and pulled it back. They looked inside and saw the Doctor was fast asleep lying on his back and Rose was sleeping with her head and her left arm draped across his chest. They paused and stared at them and then the guard with the truncheon raised it above his head preparing to bring it down on the Doctor's skull.

Suddenly, the Doctor's eyes flew open.

"Sorry boys, no room for ya to sleep in here." He said to them.

The guard with the truncheon gasped as the Doctor's hand flew up and snatched his wrist. Rose was jerked awake by the noise and she looked around in confusion as the Doctor quickly sat up and shoved him back out of the tent. The other guard made a grab for Rose, but the Doctor put his fist in his face and he was knocked backwards. The Doctor looked over and saw the other two guards running to help their comrades.

"Rose! Run, hide!" the Doctor yelled at her. "It's you they want! Get out of…"

Rose screamed as the guard with the truncheon suddenly lunged forward and hit him on the top of the head knocking him out. As he fell back onto the bedding, the other guards grabbed the screaming, kicking Rose from the tent.

The last thing she saw before losing consciousness was the guard bringing the truncheon down on her skull.

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She awoke sometime later and found herself strapped to a table in what she guessed was a lab. She raised her head and looked around looking for any windows. She flopped her head back on the table when she noticed there were none. Her heart raced as she wondered where she was. Was she still on the Valiant or had they transported her to another location? She closed her eyes and concentrated on the Doctor's mind.

_Doctor, are you there?_ She thought.

She cursed softly when there was no response. For one heart wrenching moment, she wondered if they had killed them and then dismissed that. The Doctor was right; it was her they had been after. They knocked him out because he had tried to protect her. There were only two possibilities left, either she had been taken back to the parallel universe and gone out of range, which was highly unlikely, or the Doctor hadn't regained consciousness yet. If that was the case, she was sure he would try to make contact with her as soon as he woke up.

She sighed angrily. She knew it was too good to be true. She knew the Master had been interested in her since learning about the Bad Wolf and giving his word to the Doctor wasn't about to stop him finding out if he could resurrect it or not. She steeled herself, mentally preparing for another night of pain like she had experienced with the mind raper machine. If she was going to die from this, she was going to go out bravely like the Doctor. She only hoped that if she did die, that the Doctor would be able to recover from the agony of losing her for good and move on with his life as he did when he thought she was lost to him the first time.

She looked over when the door opened and the Master stepped inside the room followed by two guards.

"Good evening, Rose. I'm so sorry I had to wake you. I hope you will forgive me." He said.

"Let me go! I don't have the Bad Wolf inside me anymore." She said to him.

"Oh, I'm not so sure. That's why I decided to go back on my word and find out. After all, if it is still in there, you'll be a very valuable tool in my conquest of the universe."

"I'll never help you and neither will the Bad Wolf." Rose said.

"Yes, I figured that. Which is why I have this handy little device for an occasion such as this." The Master replied.

He walked over to a drawer, opened it, pulled out something and walked back to Rose. He held it up to her and she stared at it. It was a shiny metal headband with a purple gem mounted on the front of it.

"This is a neural inhibitor. Kinda like the chip you had in your head except it fits around the outside. It keeps you from thinking and acting on your own. If the Bad Wolf is inside and I manage to unleash it, it will not be able to think for itself and vaporize me and the ship."

He nodded at one of the guards and he walked over and grabbed her head. Rose struggled to break free from his grip as the Master slipped the headband on. He nodded again at the guard and he let her go. Rose glared at the Master as the guard went and joined his comrade by the door.

"The Doctor will kill you when he finds out what's happened." Rose said.

"Oh I seriously doubt it since gramps can hardly walk on his own anymore, let alone mount an attack. The guards told me that they knocked him out first which means that when he wakes up, he won't have any idea what's happened to you. You will be stuck in here away from him and your thoughts will be inhibited, which means if he tries his little telepathy trick to find out where you are, you'll be able to hear him, but you won't be able to answer back. So, just letting you know ahead of time in case you start hearing voices in your head."

He walked over to a control panel.

"Don't worry, Rose, if I don't find any evidence that the Bad Wolf is inside you, I will return you to your Doctor's side and I won't trouble you again. I just have this insatiable desire to poke around and find out things like the Doctor does. I'm a show me kind of guy. So, don't take this personally, Rose. It's just business."

He pushed a button on the control panel and the purple gem glowed with a brilliant radiance. Rose's eyes glazed over and she stared unseeingly at the door.

"Now, let's get down to brass tacks and see if anything is hiding in that body of yours." The Master said opening a drawer and rifling through it.


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter Forty-Nine

The Master ignored Rose's anguished screams as the probe penetrated deeply into her mind looking for any sign that the Bad Wolf was present. The room was soundproofed so there was no chance of anyone hearing her. He sat nearby at a monitor watching the screen as he went through her memories digging deeper and deeper into her subconscious mind.

He sighed wishing he had brought some earplugs with him. The child's screams were starting to get on his nerves. He hoped he would find something soon before he went deaf.

"Come on, the power has to be in there somewhere. I just have to dig deep enough to find it."

He pushed a button and the machine probed deeper into her mind as Rose's screams increased.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor seethed. He felt like ripping everyone and everything in the Valiant apart. He should have expected this. He should have seen it coming. He knew that the Master had his eye on Rose ever since they came back. But, still he held out the hope that the Master would be so busy focusing on him and his plans for conquest that he wouldn't have time to do something to Rose. What a naive fool he was sometimes.

He had tried to get the truth out of the guards keeping watch by the door, but they completely ignored him, which infuriated him more. He had tried to contact Rose telepathically, but got no response from her. Angrily, he slumped to the ground in front of the tent.

"I swear, Master, if you harm her and she dies or goes insane, I will rip you apart with my bare hands." He muttered to himself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Master sighed as he probed deeper. He was deep into her subconscious now and there was still no sign of the Bad Wolf. After another few minutes, he decided to take a break and he stopped the probe. Rose's screams died away into silence as he rose and walked out of the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor looked over as the door slid open and Tish entered the room carrying his lunch tray.

"Hey, Doctor, how are you doing?" she asked.

She paused when she saw the angry look on his face.

"Doctor," she said putting the tray on the table and running to him. "What's wrong?"

"He has her, Tish; the Master took Rose away last night."

"Oh God," she said leaning down next to him. "Why?"

The Doctor sighed angrily.

"Because he thinks that she has god-like powers and he wants to get at it so he can use it."

"God-like powers? Why would he think Rose would have something like that?"

The Doctor briefly explained the Bad Wolf to her. Tish sat beside him in shock.

"You gotta be kidding me. She actually defeated an entire fleet of these Dalek things on her own?" she said.

"No, she didn't do it, this Bad Wolf did." The Doctor corrected her. "But the power is gone from her now, I'm sure of it. I tried to tell the Master that, but he wouldn't listen to me and now he's torturing her somewhere in an effort to draw it out of her."

"What do we do?" Tish asked.

The Doctor thought for a moment.

"The Master's laser screwdriver. If I can get a hold of it, I can use it to force him to take me to Rose and then we can put him, my double and everyone else working for him in a room and lock it so they can't escape. We can remain on the ship in safety until Martha comes back."

He took her hand.

"I can't do it alone though. It's gonna take the combined effort of everyone to pull it off. Tish, we're gonna have to risk staging another revolt to get Rose back. I hate doing something that might upset our plan, but I can't let that bastard torture Rose into insanity."

"Just tell me what to do." Tish whispered. "I know everyone will go along with it. Tell me what you have in mind and I'll tell my mum and dad."

"Tell Jack too, we need his help as well." The Doctor whispered back.

He thought for a moment and then nodded.

"Okay, here is what I want everyone to do."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tish walked quickly down the corridor trying to find her parents. Once she found them, she pulled them to one side and quickly told them the details of the Doctor's plan.

"When is he wanting to do this?" Francine asked.

"He's not sure yet, when he feels the time is right, he said he'll show us with his fingers. He'll count out the time that way. That way if someone gets wind of it, they won't be able to mount a defense against us."

"Tell the Doctor we're in. Clive and I have been aching to get back at them ever since they tortured us." Francine said.

Tish nodded.

"I have to go feed Jack. I'll write out what he needs to know on a note, put it in the tray and let him read it while he eats. That way the guard standing next to him won't have a clue."

Clive and Francine nodded.

"Just keep up to date on what's going on." Francine said. "We better get back to work now before the guards start asking too many questions."

"Okay, I'll let the Doctor know you two are in."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey Tish, how's it goin'?'" Jack asked as she entered the room carrying the tray. "I'm so glad you're here, I'm starving."

He stared at her as she walked right up to him with the tray.

"You gonna set that down?" he asked.

Tish put her finger to her lips. She glanced over at the guard and moved the note out from under the bowl.

"Read this while you eat." She whispered to him.

Jack read the note silently while Tish spooned gruel into his mouth. Once he finished reading, he looked back up at her.

"I'm in." He mouthed to her.

Tish nodded. She glanced back at the guard and quietly slid the note back under the bowl.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor looked up as Tish entered to clean off the table. She glanced back at the guards, put the spray bottle and rag on the table and quickly hurried over to him. Kneeling down beside him, she took his hands.

"Everyone's in, Doctor." She whispered to him. "All you need to do is let us know when to strike."

The Doctor nodded and smiled.

"I'll be sure to let you know." He whispered back. "It'll probably be in the afternoon though. That way you guys will be in here cleaning and it won't look suspicious."

Tish nodded.

"Speaking of, I better get on with my duties. But, I just wanted to let you know that everyone is in, even Jack."

"Good. Then, tomorrow we get Rose back and take over this ship at last."


	50. Chapter 50

Chapter Fifty

(Day 365, Early Morning…)

Martha sat in the bow of the tiny boat as two of the ship's crew slowly rowed it towards the shore of Dover. She felt a mixture of fear and anticipation knowing that one more day remained until she would be back on the Valiant reunited with the Doctor. She couldn't wait to see him and her family and friends.

She squinted through the blackness and saw a tiny pin point of light several miles away. She watched as it seemed to float in midair by itself. She looked back at one of the men behind her.

"Do you see that?" she asked pointing to it.

"Yeah, it's a signal light." He replied.

Martha nodded in understanding and turned her head back around wondering if it was her contact that was doing the signaling. She kept her eyes on the floating light as it grew brighter and more distinct with each passing mile. When they were finally near the shore, one of the men turned on a light and signaled back to him. They kept signaling to one another until they reached the edge of the water. Martha jumped out and ran to the man who was holding the lantern as the crew pushed their boat back into the waves and disappeared into the darkness. She ran up to him and then stopped.

"What's your name then?" she asked.

"Tom. Milligan. No need to ask who you are, the famous Martha Jones." He said. "How long since you were last in Britain?"

"365 days. It's been a long year."

She started walking with him.

"So, what's the plan?"

"This professor Docherty, I need to see her. Can you get me there?"

"She works in a repair shed, nuclear plant seven, I can get you inside. What's this all for? What's so important about her?"

"Sorry, the more you know, the more you're at risk."

"There's a lot of people depending on you, you're a bit of a legend."

"What does the legend say?" Martha asked figuring he was going to tell her the same thing she had been hearing from others the last few months.

"You sailed the Atlantic, walked across America, that you're the only person to get out of Japan alive. Martha Jones, they say she's gonna save the world."

Martha rolled her eyes. Yup, same old thing everyone was saying, but she had come to expect it now, so she held her tongue.

"Bit late for that." Tom added when she said nothing.

As they walked, Martha was shocked to see they were heading towards a truck.

"How come you can drive?" she asked. "Don't you get stopped?"

"Medical staff, used to be pediatrics back in the old days. But that gives me a license to travel so I can help out at the labor camps."

"Great, I'm traveling with a Doctor." Martha muttered.

She climbed in the passenger seat as Tom climbed in beside her. He looked over at her as he shut the door.

"Story is, you're the only person on Earth who can kill him. "That you and you alone can kill the Master stone dead."

"Let's just drive." Martha said testily.

Tom stared at the irritated look on her face. He said nothing more as he put the truck into gear and drove off into the night.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor lay by himself in the tent. It had been a long, rough night wondering what the Master was doing to Rose and if she was alright. He had tried numerous times to make telepathic contact with her without success. He prayed that she hadn't been killed or driven insane.

He barely noticed when the lights came up and the ship began to buzz with activity. He concentrated on reserving his strength for the battle ahead knowing that it would be far more taxing on him than the last time they had rebelled. Rose needed him now. He couldn't fail her.

He heard the breakfast tray being set outside his tent and smiled as Tish pulled back the tent and looked in on him.

"You alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I'm just resting and preparing myself."

Tish nodded.

"We haven't heard anything about Rose. No one's saying anything. I hope she's alright."

"Yeah, me too." He replied.

He glanced out the flap at the tray.

"I better eat that. I have a feeling I'll need every last morsel today." He said.

Tish helped him set up and she backed out and sat the tray just inside the door.

"I'll be back in about a half hour to get it." She said.

The Doctor nodded. Tish squeezed his hand and stuck her head back out. She left the room as the Doctor began to eat.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The alternate Doctor looked up as the Master entered the room humming to himself. He was sitting on the couch thumbing through a magazine.

"What's with you?" he asked the Master.

"I'm happy!" the Master said grinning at him. "In twenty four hours, the missiles will launch and my war can finally begin! At long last, I can unleash destruction across the universe and end the life of the man who has plagued me for centuries, but of course not before I put all his little friends to death. They've worked so hard this past year. I'm sure they'll appreciate their eternal reward."

"What about Rose? Is she going to die too?"

"Not sure. So far, I haven't found anything out of the ordinary. I'm going to go back for another round in a moment, but if I haven't found anything this time, then I'm probably not gonna find anything at all. So, yes, if that happens, Rose will be put to death while the Doctor watches."

He paused and then he danced around the room singing to himself. The alternate Doctor rolled his eye.

"What about me?"

The Master stopped.

"What about you?"

"What do I get?" the alternate Doctor said. "I helped bring all this about. I deserve to be co-ruler with you!"

The Master roared with laughter.

"You still think I'm gonna let you be my partner? Sorry, but I'm afraid all your fantasies about being the emperor are just that…fantasies! Nope, sorry, but I'm afraid you're gonna be joining the Doctor and his friends in the afterlife."

The alternate Doctor stared at him in shock for a moment and then with a roar he leapt from the couch and lunged at him. The Master whipped out the laser screwdriver and shot him in the leg. He rushed to the alternate Doctor and stepped on his neck as he pointed the screwdriver at his head.

"I knew you weren't hypnotized." He said. "You haven't been hypnotized for some time now, but you pretended because you were hoping you could get the drop on me. Sorry, I'm not that dumb. You are going to die with the others and I will finally claim my birthright as the master of the entire universe. Hate to burst your bubble, but there can be only one emperor and sadly, you're not it."

He lifted his foot and stomped hard on his head knocking him out. Casually he walked over to the intercom.

"Come in here, please." He said.

He turned back to the unconscious man lying on the floor and smirked at him.

"Tough luck being born the Doctor, maybe I would have given you more of a chance if you had been someone else. But I won't tolerate any Doctor being alive in my universe, even an evil one."

The door opened and a guard stepped inside.

"Take him away and lock him up." He said pointing to the alternate Doctor. "He will die tomorrow with all the others."

He watched as the guard grabbed him under the arms and dragged him out the door. The Master waited until the door closed before he let out a sigh and resumed humming.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(2:55…)

The Doctor lay in his tent glancing out at Francine who was busy cleaning the table. Lucy was standing near the table, but she made no eye contact with anyone. The Doctor seethed with anger at that. He could tell from the bruises and marks on her body that the Master had been abusing her. He shook his head. He was glad the day of reckoning was nearly at hand. Once he got through with the Master, he would make sure he wouldn't be capable of harming anyone ever again even if it meant locking him away for the rest of his lives.

He had wanted to speak to her, to see how much influence the Master still had over her mind, but at the moment there were too many people in the room. The ship was bustling with activity as people struggled to finish up preparations in time for launch day. In addition, there was now another guard in the room that was there for the sole purpose of keeping his eye on Lucy. There was no way he could talk to her alone, so he concentrated instead on gathering his strength and readying himself.

As he lay there, he suddenly heard a recording of a man's voice booming out over the PA system and he sat up in his tent.

CITIZENS REJOICE, YOUR LORD AND MASTER STANDS ON HIGH PLAYING TRACK 3.


	51. Chapter 51

Chapter Fifty-One

The Doctor sat in his tent and stared out the hole in the flap at his adversary as he literally danced into the room to some song he had never heard before. He had never seen anything like it. While the singer was singing about someone trying to decide whether someone should live or die, he danced over to Lucy, snogged the crap outta her and then kissed her hand as Lucy walked away from him in a daze. He spun around in a chair, grabbed a cup of tea, took a drink, spit it out and threw the cup on the floor at Francine's feet while she stepped back and stared at him in shock. The whole thing would be comical to him if he wasn't in a bad mood.

The Doctor sighed when he heard the Master ringing a bell.

_Showtime._ He thought to himself.

He stuck his head out between the flaps and slowly got to his feet as the Master watched him and sang along to the song. He stood quietly and offered no resistance as the Master bounded back down the steps and grabbed him by the lapels. To his surprise, the Master held on to him as he sang the song to his face.

_Oookay._ The Doctor thought to himself watching one of his deadliest foes serenade him. _Just when I thought this whole situation couldn't get any weirder…_

He grunted when the Master shoved him back into his wheelchair and began to wheel him around the room, still singing.

_Hmmm, seems as though my double's childish behavior is finally rubbing off on the Master._ The Doctor thought as they went around the room.

The Doctor kept his face impassive not wanting to give anything away to his adversary. The Master wheeled him over to a window and stopped. He came around to his side and put his arm around him.

"It's ready to rise, Doctor. The new Time Lord Empire. It's Good, Isn't it, isn't it good?"

The Doctor fought to keep from laughing. The Master sounded to him like a little child seeking praise from mummy after drawing a picture for her. He had no idea why the Master would care if he approved of his twisted idea or not, but then the man was certifiable. The Master looked at him expectantly as if he was going to squeal with delight and jump up and down in his seat at the thought of him being the ruler of the universe. He managed to keep the stony expression on his face as the Master waved his hand in front of it and said "Anything, no, anything?"

_You want me to say something?_ The Doctor thought _Okay, how about give Rose back to me, you sick, twisted bastard? How's that for feedback?_

The Master stared into his eyes as the Doctor remained impassive. He looked out the window trying to figure out what he was looking at and saw several Toclafane fly by.

"Oh!" he said. "But they broke your hearts. Those Toclafane. Ever since you worked out what they really were. Is that it, Doctor? Is that why you're sitting here so down in the dumps when you should be celebrating my victory?"

He smirked at him.

"Or are you missing your little snuggle bear?"

The Doctor looked at him.

"Give her back to me." He said.

"Oh, wow, now that got a reaction outta ya, didn't it?"

"I said, give her back to me."

The Master thought for a moment.

"Nah, not yet. I haven't finished with her. When I'm done, I'll let you have her then."

"I swear, if you've done anything to her mind…"

"Oh, no you don't, I'm not listening to your stupid threats again!" he said, turning him away from the window.

He wheeled him around and shoved him into the wall.

_I tried to do this the easy way, Master._ He thought as the chair hit the wall. _Now I'll do it the hard way. Either way, you will give me back Rose._

He glanced over at Francine and when he had her attention, he very discreetly put three fingers onto his leg. Francine nodded in understanding and walked off to let the others know that they had only minutes left before they revolted. He looked around at the Master who was running around yelling at his workers as they finished up preparations.

The Master paused when he noticed him glaring at him.

"For Rassilon sake, Doctor, quit staring at me like that. Rose is fine. You said so yourself she was an exceptional woman. A little mind probe isn't gonna faze her. She'll be back at your side in no time. Sheesh, some people just have to spoil the party for everyone else!"

The Doctor glanced up at the clock and noticed it was 2:57. He looked back at the Master.

"You're gonna think I spoiled your party in a few minutes, Master, trust me." He muttered.

He looked back as Tish and Francine entered the room. There was so much activity going on that no one noticed when Tish hurried over to the Doctor.

"I let dad and Jack know, Doctor, we're all ready." She whispered to him.

"Good." The Doctor whispered back.

Tish and Francine looked at each other and pretended to be busy so no one would be suspicious. As they worked, the door opened and a woman entered the room.

"Ah, here's Tonya just in time for my massage." He said, smiling at her.

The Doctor could hardly believe his luck when the Master peeled off his jacket and threw it on the table in front of him. He glanced at Tish and Francine and pointed to the jacket.

"Screwdriver's in his jacket pocket." He mouthed to them.

Francine and Tish nodded and turned their heads towards the Master who was standing by Lucy.

"Listen, you met Tonya, she's gorgeous." He said gesturing to the beautiful brunette standing nearby.

Tish and Francine looked back at the clock and saw they had less than a minute now. They positioned themselves around the jacket as the Doctor tensed his muscles ready to spring out of his chair and grab the screwdriver.

"You two should get to know each other that might be fun."

The Doctor smirked as the Master closed his eyes and let Tonya massage his muscles. Too bad he was about to interrupt that. It looked very relaxing. He glanced back up at the clock and saw that ten seconds were left. He looked back at the Master and saw his head was lolled back and his eyes were closed as he enjoyed the massage. He took one last look at the clock.

5…

The Doctor silently wheeled the chair forward a couple of inches.

4…

He stopped and leaned forward gripping the arms and keeping his eyes on the jacket pocket.

3…

Francine inched closer to the jacket.

2…

Tish wiped her sweaty palms on her maid's uniform and took a deep breath.

1…

3:00

The Master looked around in confusion as he heard the Klaxon suddenly go off. As people scrambled around him, Francine took the opportunity to snatch the jacket from the table. As the Master ran up the stairs to see what was going on, she threw it to Tish and she ran over and gave it to the Doctor as he stood up from the chair. By the time the Master turned around, the Doctor was standing at the bottom of the stairs pointing the screwdriver up at him.

"Give me Rose, or I fire." He snarled.

"Oh, I see." The Master said with sudden understanding as he put his arms up in the air.

"Give Rose back to me now, Master. Don't think I won't use this on you."

"You mean to tell me you took the trouble to plan another revolt and instead of escaping, you wasted it on HER?"

"I want Rose back, safe and sound, in my arms this instant!"

The Master stared down at the screwdriver and then suddenly he burst into laughter.

"I mean it, Master! I will fire!"

"Then go ahead and do it, Doctor, because I'm not about to let you have Rose!" the Master said.

"Fine, if I have to use force to get her back, then I will."

He pushed the button and frowned in confusion when nothing happened.

"Something wrong, Doctor?" the Master said when he tried the button again.

Smirking he came down the steps and put his hand on the screwdriver.

"Isomorphic controls." He said grabbing it from his hand.

Tish and Francine gasped when he smacked the Doctor in the face with the screwdriver sending him to the floor.

"Which means they only work for me!"

He aimed it at Francine.

"Like this." He said firing at her.

Francine screamed when he shot the laser at the wall beside her missing her by inches.

"Mum!" Tish yelled running towards her.

"Say sorry!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Francine said in a strained voice

"Didn't you learn anything from the last revolt? Siding with the Doctor is a very dangerous thing to do! Perhaps I should break both your arms this time, maybe that would teach you not to trust him."

He looked at the guards as Lucy timidly helped him put his jacket back on.

"Take them away and put them with the others. I'll figure out a suitable punishment for all of them after I'm done dealing with their ringleader."

He straightened his jacket as he walked over to the Doctor.

"Which is you, gramps. You know, I find it funny when you throw a fit if I breathe wrong on one of these humans of yours and yet you're the first one to put them in the line of fire when it suits your aims."

He grabbed him by the arms.

"Come on, into the chair." He said, helping him to stand to his feet.

He shoved him into the chair.

"So, let's see, all you got accomplished with this foolish little rebellion of yours was the punishment of your friends. How low you're sunk, Doctor, I remember when you were the great and mighty Time Lord who stood up against every monster he came across and beat them without hardly breaking a sweat. Now you're stealing other people's screwdrivers in an attempt to rescue your jail bait human girlfriend so you won't be lonesome in your captivity anymore. How pathetic. The great Oncoming Storm reduced to a senile, lovesick old fart."

He put his foot on the chair and spun him around.

"Still, I have to appreciate all the effort you've made with this attempt, Doctor. After all, you've just recovered from a broken leg and here you are staging another revolt and trying to save your precious Rose. Well, if she means that much to you, far be it from me to keep you two apart any longer. Yes, I think Rose should be witness to what is about to happen next. After all, you and her stand together through thick and thin, don't you? We wouldn't want her to miss your punishment, now would we?"

"No." the Doctor murmured.

"No? Is that what you just said? You just got done demanding she be brought to you and now you want me to keep her away? Which is it, gramps? I mean, I realize it's probably the onset of dementia, but I could have sworn the whole rebellion was because you DID want to see her."

"Punish me, do whatever you like, but don't let Rose see." The Doctor said.

The Master pretended to consider that.

"No, I'd rather she be in here. I have to admit I've become quite fond of the angsty, romantic patter you two engage in. It's like watching a…uh…chick flick…I think is what they call it. But, anyway, in answer to your request to keep Rose from seeing your punishment, my answer is nope!"

He looked at a guard.

"Go to the lab and retrieve Rose Tyler. I want her to personally witness this. I want to see if she'll still have feelings for her alien boyfriend after I show her just what he'd look like if he didn't have the ability to regenerate."


	52. Chapter 52

Chapter Fifty-Two

The Doctor hearts beat a mile a minute. Rose had just got done being tortured and now she was going have to witness whatever the Master had in mind for him. He wished now that he hadn't tried to fight back. He could only imagine what the Master meant by letting Rose see what he looked like if he couldn't regenerate.

He heard the door open and saw the Master beckoning to someone behind the chair.

"Bring her here."

The Doctor forced himself to look around and his hearts stopped when he saw them drag Rose to the front of the chair. She was half dead from pain and exhaustion. She raised her head up and looked wearily at him.

"Doctor?" she said in a weak voice.

"Yes, my Angel." the Doctor leaning forward to embrace her.

He ignored the Master's snickers as he kissed the top of her head. He gently lifted her face to his looking for any signs of trauma. She looked dazed and he could see she was struggling to keep awake, but she seemed to be alright. There were no bruises or broken bones, but he ached knowing she had been put through another mind raper session. It was a wonder she still had a coherent thought in her head after all she had been through.

"What's…going on, Doctor?" Rose said looking around at all the people.

She looked back up at him in confusion. The Doctor swallowed hard dreading telling her the reason why she had been brought out here.

Of course, the Master had no such qualms.

"Ah, you're out here, Rose because the Doctor has been a very naughty boy. You see, he just orchestrated another revolt in this foolish attempt to free you."

Rose stared at the Doctor.

"You did?" she whispered.

"Yes, I did."

"Oh, Doctor," Rose said putting her arms around her neck. "Why? Why did you risk it?"

"Because I love you."

"Oooooh, how sweet is that! Anyone in here got a hankie, I'm about to cry!" the Master blubbered.

The Doctor glared at him.

"Oh my little Rose, I love you soooo much, let's get married and live in the TARDIS and have lots and lots of children! Then, we can come back to Earth, hire a babysitter and go out to the cinema where we'll just ignore the movie, pounce on each other and make love in a bed of popcorn! Oh, what a delightful life we'll have my sweetie pumpkin bugger boo! Nothing but shagging and singing from mornin' till night!"

He paused when he noticed the Doctor giving him a murderous look.

"What, you mean your life isn't all shagging and show tunes?" he said. "You mean you still do go out and explore time and space? How do you ever find the time to peel away from each other to do that?"

"Get on with it, Master." The Doctor snarled.

"On with what? Oh! You mean your punishment? Mercy, you're in a big hurry to find out what'll happen, aren't ya? Very well, if you are that curious."

The Master pointed to the floor.

"On your knees, old man."

The Doctor slid gently to the floor beside Rose. She threw her arms around him and he held her protectively as he stared up at the Master.

"Now before we start, I think we should let the entire world see this." He said. "Seeing as how Miss Jones has been telling everyone about you and letting them know what a neato guy you are and filing their heads with hope of freedom, I think it would be fitting to see what happens to their hero when he defies me."

He looked at a guard.

"Go and get a few more people and have them bring in the camera and the other equipment so I can broadcast from here. And have one of my men broadcast a message to standby. I want to be sure everyone is watching this, especially Martha Jones."

"Yes, Master."

He smiled as the guard walked away.

"See, he's not causing any trouble. He does everything I tell him to like a good little guard."

"Master, listen to me, whatever you're planning to do to me, please know that I don't blame---"

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO SAY THAT TO ME AGAIN, OLD MAN!" The Master bellowed at him. "I TOLD YOU WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO YOUR SWEETHEART IF YOU DARED UTTER THOSE WORDS AND I MEANT IT. I WILL KILL HER IF YOU TRY TO FORGIVE ME AGAIN! DO YOU HEAR?"

The Doctor pulled Rose closer to him and nodded.

"Good." The Master said calming down. "Now, on to the subject of your punishment."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his laser screwdriver. Rose gasped and shook her head.

"No, oh God, please no." she said.

The Master paused and looked at her.

"What, my dear, what do you think I'm going to do?"

"Please don't age him again. Let him alone! Punish me, not him."

"No, Rose." The Doctor said.

"Doctor, let me take your place." She begged him.

"No, you've been through enough. I won't let you be harmed anymore." He said cupping her face with his cheeks. "I'll be alright."

"Anyone wanna pop me some popcorn? If I'm gonna watch this romantic movie, I wanna have something to snack on." The Master said looking around.

Ignoring the Master, Rose embraced the Doctor and sobbed quietly as the Doctor held her close and rubbed her back. He glanced around when the door opened and the camera and other equipment was brought in. He lowered his head to Rose's and mentally prepared himself as everything was set up. After several minutes, the guards nodded to the Master and they walked away from the camera.

"Good, we're all ready to begin then." He said.

He turned to the Doctor who was looking up at him.

"Wanna get your girlfriend out of the way or do you wanna see what she looks like as a very old lady?"

"Go on, Rose, get clear of here."

"No, I'm not leaving you. I want to be aged with you."

"No, I won't allow that, Rose, go."

_Please,_ he thought to her. _Don't make this harder than it already is. _

_Oh, Doctor, I can't bear to leave you. I don't want to see you grow older._

_I know, Rose, but remember only one day more and then it'll be over. I'll be restored tomorrow._

_But, what if that doesn't work?_

_It will, trust me. Now move out of the way before he becomes angry and does something worse to me than aging my body._

The Master sighed angrily.

"I assume from the sudden silence that you are having a private conversation in your heads." He said. "I'm going to say this one more time…get Rose out of the way or suffer the consequences."

"Go, Rose, now." The Doctor said.

Rose gave him one more kiss on the cheek before reluctantly tearing herself away from his arms. She backed away towards the tent and sat down in front of it, watching dully as the Doctor turned his attention back to the Master.

"Are we ready to broadcast?" the Master asked.

"Yes, Master."

"Good, start filming then.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"We've been told there's gonna be a transmission." Professor Docherty said hitting the top of her tiny TV. "From the man himself."

She hit it again and the TV turned on. Martha and Tom came up beside her and watched it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"My people, salutations." The Master said speaking into the camera.

As he spoke, the Doctor glanced over at Rose and noticed she was trying to crawl back to him.

_No, Rose, stay there. That's an order!_ He thought to her.

Rose bit her lip and nodded. She sat back down on the floor as the Doctor breathed a sigh of relief.

"But, I know there are all sorts of whispers down there about a child walking the Earth, giving you hope, maybe some of you have even met her, spoken with her, but I ask you," the Master said stepping aside so the viewers could see the Doctor. "How much hope has this man got? Say hello, Gandalf. Except he's not that old, but he's an alien with a much greater life span than you stunted little apes. But, what if it showed, what if I suspend your capacity to regenerate."

He stepped back in front of the camera and adjusted his screwdriver.

"All 900 years of your life, Doctor, what if we could see them?"

The Doctor's hearts sank as he realized what he was about to do. As the tip of the screwdriver shot up, he glanced over and saw a guard walking over to Rose. He gave her a brave smile and winked at her and then…the pain hit and the screaming began, both his and hers.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Martha watched horrified as the Doctor thrashed about and put up his hands in a vain attempt to shield himself. She swallowed hard when she heard Rose somewhere off camera screaming and crying out the Doctor's name as the Master repeated the word "Older" over and over.

"No! Oh God, stop! Please, leave him alone!" she heard Rose scream.

Martha closed her eyes wishing more than anything she could be with them on the ship at that moment.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Finally after a few minutes, the Master let up. Rose let out an agonized scream when she saw only the Doctor's clothes lying on the floor.

"YOU BASTARD, YOU KILLED HIM!" she screamed trying to break free of the guard's grip.

Ignoring Rose, the Master stepped over to the clothes.

"Doctor?" he said.

He bent down and nudged the clothes as everyone all over the world waited in silence. At first nothing happened and then Rose gasped when she saw something moving underneath the Doctor's shirt.

"Doctor?" She said softly.

Her heart nearly stopped in her chest when a tiny head with wide confused eyes poked out of the shirt and looked around. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she stared at the tiny Doctor in disbelief.

"Oh God," She whispered to herself. "Oh, my poor Doctor, my poor sweet Doctor."

The Master stared down at his diminutive foe.

"Wow, 900 year old Time Lords look exactly like Yoda." He muttered. "That's interesting."

He turned back to the camera and smirked.

"Received and understood, Miss Jones?" he said.

He turned the camera off and looked down at the Doctor who was now being cradled in Rose's arms. The Master grimaced at the tiny naked body.

"Ugh, naked 900 year old body. Not good. I'll have to do something about that." He muttered.

He bent down beside Rose who was kissing the Doctor's face.

"Um…could you do that when I'm not in the room? That's very disturbing to me."

Rose looked at him and her eyes burned with hate.

"I'll kill you for this, I swear I will!" she said.

"No, Rose," the Doctor whispered putting his tiny hand against her cheek.

Rose looked at him and her tears fell all over again.

"I love you, Doctor, no matter what you look like."

"I know you do, Rose, I know you do." He said softly.

The Master stood and thought for a moment as he watched the two of them interacting. He hadn't counted on the Doctor shrinking down to midget size. He obviously couldn't keep him in the tent since he could now wander off and hide anywhere on the ship. No, he didn't need the little munchkin causing more trouble. As he stood and thought, he suddenly had an idea. He knew the perfect little home for Gollum. He walked over and whispered to a guard who nodded and left the room.

"Keep an eye on these two but especially the elf. I don't want you to lose track of him for one second. Got that?" He said to two guards.

"Yes, Master." They said in unison.

"Good. I'm gonna take a rest and oh, throw a towel over that wrinkly little raisin, his body is disgusting to look at!"

Rose gritted her teeth and stared at him, enraged, as he whistled to himself and calmly walked to the door.


	53. Chapter 53

Chapter Fifty-Three

Rose sat with the Doctor in the tent. Everyone had left the room except for the two guards. Both guards had followed the Master's order to the letter and they were currently standing a few feet away from the tent. So, Rose ducked inside in order to give the two of them some privacy. She had calmed down considerably and was looking at the Doctor as he sat on her knee wrapped in his shirt.

"I will be so glad when tomorrow comes." He said to her. "Just when I thought things couldn't be worse, he pulls this."

Rose held his hand in his. It was so tiny like a baby's. He was almost unrecognizable now. He looked up at her with his large brown eyes and Rose couldn't help but think that they resembled the eyes she'd seen in anime cartoons.

"How are you doing?" he asked. "Are you in any pain from the mind probe?"

"Me?" Rose said in disbelief. "Doctor, after what he's done to you, I don't even care about what's happened to me anymore."

"Rose, It could be much worse. I could have died. I'm still here. I'm still me. I resemble a 900 year old gnome now, but it's still me."

He held her hand with both of his.

"Tomorrow, Rose, remember that. I won't be like this forever."

Rose nodded.

"Yoo-hooooo! Anyone at home?"

Rose looked up as the Master pulled back the flap and peeked inside.

"Oh! There you are. Oh good, you're wrapped up. I don't think I could take looking at that pruny body of yours, ewgh!

He ignored the looks of death and smiled.

"Guess what? I have brought a surprise for our diminutive little friend here. Well, actually two surprises, but I'll just give them to you one at a time.

He held up a little red gift bag, set it on the floor in front of the hole and reached inside.

"Ta-daaaaa! He said holding up a little jacket. "Isn't it adorable? I found this seamstress who "volunteered" to make me a replica of your suit so you can have some clothes. Isn't that sweet of her?"

He looked at Rose.

"See, Rosie, I bet it'll be just like when you were young and playing dress up with your dollies, eh?"

He ignored her look of hate and reached back down into the bag.

"And you wanna see something even cuter? Look!"

He pulled up a little strip of brown cloth.

"A teeny weeny tie, isn't that thoughtful? That woman is so considerate to include that. Now you can look like your old self."

He stared at the Doctor.

"'Course when I say look like your old self, I'm overlooking the fact that you have a huge freakish bald head and enormous moon shaped eyes now." He added.

He sat the bag inside.

"Anyway, get dressed and I'll be back soon to give you your second surprise."

He got back up and walked away.

"Well, might as well change into this." The Doctor said standing up.

He grabbed the bag and sat back down. Rose stared at him as he reached in and grabbed a tiny blue replica of his shirt. As he put it on and buttoned it up, she shook her head. The whole thing was so surreal to her that she hardly could believe her eyes.

The Doctor finished buttoning up the shirt.

"Not bad." He mused running his hand down it. "It fits really well."

He glanced up at Rose and noticed the odd look on her face.

"What?" he asked.

"I can't believe you're taking all of this so calmly." She said.

The Doctor put his hands on her cheeks.

"Rose, I keep telling you this won't last. I'm fine, really. I'm tiny, but at least I'm still alive. It's better to just take everything in stride and not dwell on what's happened. I've always been able to adapt to anything life throws at me and that's what I'm doing now. Adapting."

He kissed her chin.

"Now…" he said stroking her cheek. "What do you think about the shirt?"

"I…like it."

The Doctor smiled and nodded.

"Me too. See, as I keep saying, just take this one moment at a time and keep calm. I'm here, that's the important thing. Now, for the jacket."

He reached into the bag and paused.

"What, Doctor?" Rose said when she saw a tiny smile forming on his face.

The Doctor grinned at her as he brought his hand out of the bag and showed her a tiny pair of briefs. Rose laughed in spite of herself and took the little briefs in her hand.

"The Master thinks of everything, doesn't he?" the Doctor said, reaching back into the bag.

"But…why is he doing this for you?" Rose asked.

"Oh, I suspect he thinks he's humiliating me by doing this. You know, dress me in a replica of my suit so I can be reminded of the way I used to be. But actually, I think it would be more humiliating to just let me stay wrapped in my shirt. Anyway, I'm not gonna argue if he's willing to give me an outfit."

He pulled out the tie and the jacket. Rose watched as he tied the tiny tie and slipped his jacket on.

"Y-fronts, my dear, if you'd be so kind." He said holding out his hand.

Rose handed them to him. He slipped them on.

"Blimey, they fit perfectly. How'd the Master know what size I am?" he said to himself.

He reached in, got out his trousers and put them on. When he was finished, he stood up and held out his arms.

"Well? What'd you think?" he asked.

"You look cute." She said taking his left hand. "I think I'll just let you stay like this. All miniature and all."

"P'eh, sorry Tyler, but one day of this is all you get." He said as she giggled.

He sat back down on her knee and sighed.

"You know, its days like this that make me glad that my people are gone. I'd be the laughing stock of Gallifrey if they saw me like this." He said.

He noticed the odd look on Rose's face.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I was just thinking how odd and surreal this is." Rose said. "I'm sitting here and my boyfriend is now a little midget man in a tiny suit who is sitting on my knee."

"Yeah, well look at me, I'm dating a giant." The Doctor added. "I'm gonna have to watch where I go now so you won't step on me."

They heard the door slide open.

"Ah, I'm betting this is the second gift." The Doctor said.

They looked over when the Master peeked in the tent.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaw, he looks so cute!" the Master cooed. "I'm so glad the suit fits you. And you're dressed, so now I can show you the other surprise."

Rose gasped when the Master slammed a birdcage down in front of him.

"Look, Doctor, your new home!" the Master said to him.

The Doctor put a hand on Rose's cheek when he noticed tears coming to her eyes.

_One moment at a time, Rose, remember._ He thought to her.

The Master took the top part of the cage off and pointed to the base.

"Inside." He said to the Doctor.

The Doctor stood up and Rose kissed him on the lips.

"AH! For Rassilon's sake, wait till I leave the room, will ya?" the Master said grimacing. "Ew, Now I'm gonna have that image in my head for the rest of the day!"

The Doctor walked over to the base and sat down. Rose took a deep breath calming herself while the Master brought the rest of the cage down over him. He took some screws out of his pocket and began to screw the cage to the base.

"Now," the Master said to Rose as he worked. "I will allow you to stay in here with the Doctor if you will behave yourself and not try to free him. Do you think you can do that?"

_Say yes, Rose,_ the Doctor thought to her. _We must stay together now._

"Yes, I won't try to free him." Rose said.

"Good, then I'll set the birdcage up just outside the tent so you can be together. But, I'm warning you now. If you even think of freeing him, I will take the cage and drop it off the side of the ship. You got that?"

"Yes." Rose said.

"Yes, what?"

Rose took a deep breath.

"Yes…Master."

The Master grinned at her.

"That's more like it."

He finished tightening the last screw and looked inside the cage.

"There you go, Doctor, all nice and comfy." He said.

He looked at Rose.

"Aw, don't feel sad, Rose. Just think of him as your little pet." He said to her.

The Doctor noticed Rose ball up her fist for a moment before she thought better of it and relaxed her hand.

_That's it, Rose, don't do anything to risk your being taken away from me._ The Doctor thought to her. _Just one more day, just keep thinking of that._

The Master noticed Rose nodding at the Doctor.

"This whole telepathy thing you have going with him. It's pretty interesting. But then anything concerning the mind has always fascinated me."

He got up from the floor and grabbed the cage.

"Come along Tweety Bird, let's get you hung up out here and then you and Rose can think to each other in peace." He said.


	54. Chapter 54

Chapter Fifty-Four

Rose lay in the tent counting down the moments until the Doctor could spring his trap and they would all be free. As she stared up at the tarp, she suddenly became aware of whistling outside the tent. She peeked outside and saw the Doctor sitting in his cage whistling a tune. He smiled when he noticed her looking at him.

"If I'm Tweety Bird now, I might as well act the part." He said shrugging.

He whistled to her as she got up and walked over to him. She put her finger through the cage and he took hold of it and kissed the tip.

"Polly want a cracker?" he asked with a wink.

Rose rolled her eyes and grinned.

He looked over at the guards standing by the door.

"You don't happen to have a tiny tin cup, do ya?" he asked her. "I want to bang the bars and ask the wardens over there for a cup of water and a crust of bread."

Rose giggled.

"Oooooh, nobody knows the trouble I've seen," he sang. "Nobody knows my sorrow. I'm gonna kick the Master's big butt. And, I won't be a dwarf after tomorrooooooooooooow!"

"At least you're keeping your spirits up." Rose said.

The Doctor shrugged.

"Can't do much else at the moment. At least I have you here. Seeing your pretty face staring at me through the bars makes my captivity worthwhile." He said. "At least he didn't do anything further to me. In the condition I'm in, he could have done any number of things to me, but he didn't."

He took Rose's finger.

"It's all building up to the climax, Rose. The final act of this year long drama has begun and soon it will all end."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Martha listened to Professor Docherty explaining the Archangel Network to her. Looking at this woman, it was hard for her to believe she was working for the Master. She didn't seem the type that would do this. Then, Martha supposed that a year ago she probably didn't think she would be in this situation.

The resistance had filled her in on Docherty's son and she knew this was why she was willing to betray her and turn her in. She understood completely why she would do this. If she had a son who was taken from her, she would move Heaven and Earth to find out what had happened to him so she couldn't really blame her for her actions. She only hoped she would be able to live with herself afterwards.

As for Martha, she wasn't concerned in the least about being turned in; anything that would get her back on the Valiant in time to meet the Doctor was alright with her. She sighed thinking of what the Master had done to him, she was glad that he was still alive, but to be aged like that so that he barely resembled herself sickened her. He was so human like that she often forgot that the Doctor was 900 years old or even that he was an alien. Seeing him reduced to a wrinkled little midget was disturbing to say the least.

"Besides any military action, the Toclafane descend."

Martha was jolted from her thoughts.

"They're not called Toclafane. That's a name the Master made up." She clarified.

"Then what are they then?"

Martha gave her a pointed look.

"Well, that's why I came to find you. Know your enemy." She said.

Docherty gave her a confused look and Martha wondered if she had picked up on the real meaning of her words. Before she could say anything, Martha reached into her bag and pulled out the purple CD that had the information Doctor Barraclough had found from examining the dead Toclafane in South Africa.

"I've got this." She said showing it to Docherty. "No one's been able to look at a sphere close up, they can't even be damaged. Except once, a lightning strike in South Africa brought one of them down just by chance. I've got the readings on this."

She handed Docherty the disk. She put it in her CD drive and began to look through the information.

"Oh, work!" she said hitting the top of the monitor. "Who'd ever thought we'd miss Bill Gates?"

"So, that is why you traveled the world? To find a disk?" Tom asked Martha.

"No, just got lucky."

"I heard stories that you walked the Earth to find a way to build a weapon."

Martha hid the smile from her face. That story was still holding. If she knew that, then that would be what the Master knew too. Truth was, she had a gun although it wasn't used to kill. It was an inoculation gun. Barraclough had given it to her along with three chemicals that she put into little glass cylinders that were designed to fit on the gun. Barraclough had used it as part of his job. He traveled all over Africa inoculating the poor against disease. He had a spare gun so Martha casually asked if she could have it. He thought it an odd request, but she told him that she had seen many sick people in her travels that she wanted to use it to inoculate others so that an epidemic wouldn't spread and threaten the survivors. He had bought her story and gave her the gun plus three vaccines against diphtheria, rubella and smallpox. That made up the imaginary anti-regeneration gun that Martha now carried in her bag. It wasn't essential to the plan that she procured a gun, but it was better to make the Master think she had one in her possession. She wanted everything as realistic as possible so that no one would suspect her true intentions.

Docherty read some of the readings off of the monitor. Barraclough had calculated the precise energy a lightning strike gave off.

Tom looked at her.

"Can you recreate that?"

"I think so. Easily. Yes."

Martha smiled.

"Right then, Doctor Milligan, we're gonna get us a sphere.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose tossed and turned in the tent. For the past hour, she had tried to sleep, but couldn't. Worry about the Doctor kept her from slipping into a peaceful sleep. He was so tiny now. The Master could come in at any time and hurt him. Any number of things could go wrong between now and tomorrow. Anything could ruin their plans. They were so close and she was frightened that the Master would catch on and stop them from succeeding.

She shifted her body slightly and gently pulled the flap aside slightly. She looked up at the cage in the dimly lit room and saw the Doctor sitting staring at the floor of the cage. He looked so sad and her heart ached for him. She missed lying beside him with her head on his chest listening to his heartbeats. Still, she took comfort in the fact that she could still see him and he was alright.

She heard the door slide open and she quickly let go of the flap.

"Tomorrow they launch." She heard the Master say. "We're opening up a rift in the Brackatolian Space. Won't see us coming. Kinda scary."

"Then stop." She heard the Doctor reply.

"Once the empire is established and there's a new Gallifrey in the heavens. Maybe then it stops."

There was a pause.

"Rose is asleep?" she heard the Master say.

"Yes."

Rose scooted back towards the back of the tarp. She half expected the Master to pull back the tent flap and check for himself, but he didn't.

You and her will witness the launch of the missiles tomorrow and then you both will die." She heard him say. "I want you both to stand at the window and bear witness to the birth of this new empire. I want you to witness the beginning of a new life for the universe before your old life ends. Question is, do you want Rose to die first or do you want to go before her and lead her into the hereafter."

"You seem so sure of everything. You may kill me tomorrow, but that won't mean your troubles will be at an end. The planets of the universe will not sit back and just let you conquer them. If I fall, others will step up to take my place and if you kill them, others will stand up to replace them. You may think I'm the only one brave enough to defend the universe from you, but you are wrong, you are so wrong. There are many more. The fact that there is resistance on Earth is testimony to that."

"Nobel words, Doctor, but you see I have made sure that the planets I attack will not be able to mount a defense against me. I will destroy all who dare resist me."

"Then, you will have to kill every single person in the universe, because even if you bring planets to their knees and make nations tremble at your feet, it won't be for long. Somewhere, sometime, someone will stand up against you and fight back. And, seeing as how you will be the only one ruling the entire universe that will make you extremely vulnerable to assassination. You cannot watch the entire universe on your own, Master. And even if you hypnotize others, you will still have to have thousands, maybe even millions of people under your thrall governing the universe in your name. And any one of those people might break your hold on their mind and come after you. So you see, Master, even if you do kill me, you still won't be at peace because you will have to watch your back every minute and wonder if someone is gonna turn against you and stab you in the back. I would rather be dead and safe in the afterlife with Rose than spend the rest of my lives worrying about who are my friends and who are my enemies and quelling every little uprising that comes up lest it grow into a full-scale revolution and knock me off my throne."

There was silence. Rose reached out her hand and quietly moved aside the tent flap. She saw the Master and the Doctor staring at one another as Lucy stood nearby watching them with a glazed look in her eyes. The Doctor was smiling at the silent shock on the Master's face.

As they stared at one another, the door slid open and a Toclafane entered the room.

"Tomorrow we rise, never to fall." It said coming up to the Master.

"You see, I'm doing it for them!" the Master said gesturing to it. "You think I'm doing this just for myself, but I'm really doing it for my children. I brought them here out of darkness and despair and death so I could give them a new chance at life. Utopia failed so I'm giving them a new Utopia here. That's why I'm doing this, Doctor. You should be grateful for what I'm doing for them, Doctor. After all, you love them so very, very much."

He paused.

"And as for having to hypnotize millions of people to govern in my name, I don't need to hypnotize anyone. I have six billion willing volunteers at my command and I'm sure no one will think of lifting a finger against me once they see what they can do."

He smiled.

"So once again, Doctor, you've wasted your breath on pretty little speeches. I will succeed in ruling the universe. The drumming has decreed that. It is my destiny to be the Master of all and not you or anyone else will stop me. So, sweet dreams, Doctor. Take comfort knowing that you and your beloved will be together at the moment of your death. Good night."

He turned on his heels, grabbed Lucy by the arm and left the room as the Doctor shook his head and sighed sadly.


	55. Chapter 55

Chapter Fifty-Five

After the Master left, the lights shut off and Rose tried to go back to sleep but it was still no use. Her mind was filled with too many worries and no matter how much she tried to dispel them, they kept flitting through her mind.

_Rose._

Rose lifted her head when she heard the Doctor in her mind.

_Yes, Doctor?_ She thought back.

_Go to sleep, Rose; I know you're awake. I can sense it. Quit worrying and rest, you'll need your strength for tomorrow._

Rose pulled aside the flap and crawled out of the tent. The Doctor was sitting in the cage looking at her.

"Sleep," he said to her. "Quit worrying about tomorrow."

"I'm trying," Rose whispered. "But so many things could go wrong. What if the plan backfires?"

"It won't." The Doctor said. "Everything is happening on schedule, trust me. Now go to sleep so you can witness the Master getting his comeuppance tomorrow."

Rose nodded.

"Good night, Doctor."

"Good night, Rose. Rest now."

She put her finger inside the cage and the Doctor kissed it. He watched her lovingly while she went back to the tent and crawled inside. She laid her head down and closed her eyes and this time she did succeed in getting to sleep. The Doctor sat up for awhile and then when he was satisfied that Rose was asleep, he laid his head down and closed his eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Master sat at his desk smiling as he watched Docherty on his laptop. He had been asleep when the guards came to him and told him that she wanted to contact him about Martha Jones. He was so excited, he hadn't even bothered to get dressed or comb his hair.

"So, Martha Jones is in London then?" he asked her.

"Yes, she is nearby hiding out with some survivors." She replied.

"Excellent."

"Now, what about my son?"

"What about him?"

"Where is he, Master? I want to see him. Let me talk to him, damn it!"

"Ooo, now that's no way to talk to your boss."

"I've done everything you wanted, Master. I gave you Martha; now give me my son back!"

The Master leaned back and smirked enjoying the look of distress on Docherty's face. He did love leading the humans on.

"I don't think so, Docherty." He said.

"Then, at least let me see him!"

"No."

"Why not?" Docherty demanded.

The Master's smirk widened.

"Because I said so and since I am your boss, what I say goes. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an old friend I need to go visit. I'm sure she'll be glad to see me and I'm sure she'll be missing the Doctor and all her friends! So, Nighty-night!"

"Master, wait, ple----"

The Master cut off the transmission and closed his laptop. He was about to hurry up when he suddenly had a flash of inspiration. Grinning, he hurried off towards the conference room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose frowned when she sensed the lights coming on in the room.

"Doctor?" she murmured. "Is it morning yet?"

Then, she heard the Master.

"Guess what?"

Rose opened her eyes and turned on her side. She pulled back the flap slightly and saw the Master standing in front of the cage dressed in a robe with his hair all askew. The Doctor was on his hands and knees staring up at him quietly.

"I found Martha." The Master said when he didn't answer. "And now I'm gonna go down and get her so she can witness my day of triumph with everyone else! Isn't that great?"

The Master's face fell when the Doctor said nothing.

"Aw, what's wrong? No snappy comeback or impassioned speech for me now? I figured you'd be screaming at me to leave her alone at the very least. Why so quiet?"

"I can't stop you, Master." The Doctor said quietly.

The Master considered that for a moment.

"Yeah, you're right, you can't." he said gleefully.

He sighed contentedly.

"Well, I'm off now. Just wanted to let you know that you'll be seeing your little companion soon. I'll let you get back to sleep now."

He paused.

"You know, you look awfully cute in there. I oughta have the humans start making little stuffed dolls of you to sell all over the universe. Little Yoda Doctor dolls in their own little plastic cages. I'd make a fortune. After all, I'll need some way to keep funding my war after the initial strike, you know. Well, good night, and when Rose wakes up in the morning, tell her I said hello. Cheers!"

The Doctor watched while he skipped happily out the door and it slid shut behind him. As the lights went out, he looked back at the tent.

"Now I know you have to be awake after all that." He said to Rose.

Rose crawled out and walked over to him. She looked at him sitting in the near darkness and could make out a small smile on his face.

"See, Rose, everything is going according to plan. The last piece of the puzzle is Martha's return to the Valiant. Now all we need to do is wait for the final countdown and then the Master's reign ends."

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Martha sat on a staircase surrounded by Tom and several other survivors. She was weary from all that had happened and nervous about being recaptured by the Master, so despite Tom's protests, she went through the same speech about the Doctor if anything to calm her nerves and give her the strength to take the next step. She knew that Docherty had told the Master about her after she left and that at this moment; he was sending someone to fetch her and bring her back to the Valiant.

She kept on talking. She had said the speech so much over the past year that it was second nature to her now. She didn't even have to think anymore, the words just came out of her mouth. Hearing the sound of her voice talking about the Doctor did calm her nerves and give her hope. The Doctor was alive and come morning, she and everyone else would be free. He could tell from the faces of the survivors that they were also drawing comfort from her words and that warmed her heart. The Doctor deserved to be known and appreciated after everything he had done for the universe.

"But I've seen him, I know him, I love him and I know what he can do." She said.

Suddenly, a woman ran through the crowd.

"It's him, it's him, oh my God, it's him. The Master, he's here."

Martha's heart stopped. He was the last person she expected to come and get her.

"But he never comes to Earth." A boy said. "He never walks upon the ground."

"Hide her!" the woman said pointing at Martha.

Martha lay down on the stairs as they covered her with an old coat. As she lay on the steps listening to the Master taunting her and calling her to come out of hiding, she suddenly felt her resolve begin to fail as the reality that zero hour was here hit her. She had enjoyed a year of relative safety away from the Valiant and now it was time to go back and stand in front of the Master and the alternate Doctor. The uncertainty of what they could do to her filled her with dread and fear. The Doctor was tiny now, too small to step in and save her if they tried to harm or kill her. It would be up to her.

She heard the guards readying their guns outside.

"I'll give the order unless you surrender." She heard the Master say. "Ask yourself what would the Doctor do?"

Martha paused and thought that over. She suddenly imagined the Doctor, the young Doctor standing in front of her smiling at her.

"I'm so proud of you, Martha," the vision said. "You can do this. I have faith in my girl."

That image of the Doctor gave Martha the strength to take the key off from around her neck and get up from the stairs. The people around her stared at her with a mixture of confusion and horror, but she calmed them.

"I'll be alright. We all will." She said softly.

She started towards the door, reaching it, she put her hand on Tom's gun, pushing it away. Tom stood up and stared at her.

"Martha, what are you doing?" he hissed.

Martha smiled at him.

"Fulfilling my mission." She replied simply.

She smiled at the survivors and with a deep breath; Martha opened the door and stepped outside to face the Master.

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The alternate Doctor sat back against the wall of his cell and stared at the locked door. He knew that it was the morning of the planned launch when the Master would launch his warheads and begin his war against the universe. He seethed with anger at his betrayal. He should have known he would be like his double and turn against him. Well, he wasn't about to take this lying down. He would usurp the bastard's throne even if he had to kill everyone on the Valiant to do it. He was the greatest Time Lord who ever lived, not him. He would die along with the Doctor and then he, the Doctor, would reign supreme. He wasn't finished yet, not by a long shot. He knew that a guard would be coming in the morning with a breakfast tray. He had done nothing thus far; he had wanted the guard to be unafraid when he came in to the room. He had bided his time waiting for the right time and now was his moment. The next time the guard came in the room, he would strike and then he would show the universe who really was the chosen Time Lord.


	56. Chapter 56

Chapter Fifty-Six

Martha sat in the cell on the Valiant waiting for the time when she would be brought before the Doctor. She put her head in her hands thinking of Tom. She couldn't believe he was dead. She hadn't known him for very long, but he had been a great friend and had helped her out. For him to die like that had shocked and saddened her. She only hoped that his death hadn't been in vain.

She looked up when the door opened and two guards walked in. Sighing, she got to her feet and steeled herself for what lay ahead.

CITIZENS OF EARTH, REJOICE AND OBSERVE.

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The guard opened the cell door and carried in the breakfast tray for the alternate Doctor. He gasped when the alternate Doctor grabbed him in a headlock.

"Thanks, but I'm not hungry." He snarled at him.

He snapped his neck and as the guard fell to the floor, he grabbed his gun and ran out the door.

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The door slid open and Martha was ushered inside the room. She walked ahead of two guards who took their places beside the door as it slid closed. She looked over at her family who were standing together looking at her with worried expressions on their faces. She next looked at Jack. She smiled when he nodded at her. She looked over at Rose who was kneeling in front of a tarp tent as a guard stood next to her pointing a gun at her head. They smiled at each other. Finally, she looked over and her heart ached when she saw the diminutive Doctor standing in a birdcage smiling at her proudly. To see him like that nearly killed her and she had to force herself to walk up to the staircase where the Master stood looking at her surrounded by Lucy and several others.

"The teleport device," he said holding out his hand. "In case you think I'd forgotten."

Martha pulled it out of a pocket in her trousers and threw it up at him.

"And now…kneel."

Martha obeyed.

"Down below the fleet is ready to launch. 200,000 ships set to burn across the universe."

As the Master ran to an intercom, Martha glanced over at him and saw him wink. She smiled and nodded. Seeing him there gave her the strength she needed to confront this monster.

"Three minutes to align the black hole converters."

He looked over at a digital timer.

"Counting down."

Rose glanced up at it and looked at the Doctor.

_That's it, Rose, the countdown._ He thought to her. _Three more minutes left._

Rose smiled and nodded.

"MY CHILDREN, ARE YOU READY?"

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The alternate Doctor crept up to the door and paused a moment. Keeping his hand on the trigger of the gun, he slowly opened the door and peeked inside. He grinned when he saw all his enemies together in one place. He glanced up at the Master who was standing at the top of the stairs making a speech.

_Good, I can finish everyone off at once and you, my dear Master, will be the first to die_. He thought.

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"Any last words?"

Martha was silent.

"No?"

He stepped down the steps and turned to face the Doctor.

"Such a disappointment this one, Doctor. Rose over there could absorb the time vortex and become a god. All Martha can do is walk around and find gun parts. I was wrong about your skill in picking companions. She's useless."

The alternate Doctor snickered.

_No argument there._ He thought to himself as he watched with interest.

The alternate Doctor had decided to let the Master launch the missiles and kill the Doctor and his friends. He figured it would save him a lot less work in the end. Quietly he watched as Martha bowed her head.

_That's it, little doggie, bow your head and prepare to roll over and play dead. _He thought.

He rolled his eyes when the Master began making another little speech.

_Geez, what a windbag._ He thought.

The alternate Doctor paused when he heard Martha giggling to herself.

_Hmm, gotta admit, the little ape has guts._

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"What? What's so funny?"

Martha looked up at him and smiled knowing that she was about to show the world just what a gullible fool the Master really was. She had no idea what all would happen today, but she was more than happy to tell the Master what she knew. As she explained what she had been doing, she kept glancing back up at the countdown. Less than a minute left. She kept talking hoping to stall the Master long enough until the countdown reached zero. So far it was working, the Master had even gone so far as to sit down on the steps and listen. As she talked, the countdown continued. She could sense that everyone was hanging on her every word listening to her story. The Master sat in disbelief when he heard that all she had been doing all along was talking to the people.

"Is that your weapon…prayer?" he said.

"Right across the world, one word, just one thought at one moment…but with fifteen satellites."

"What?" the Master said not sure if he'd heard right.

"The Archangel Network. " Jack said.

"A telepathic field biding the whole human race together with all of them, every single person on Earth, thinking the same thing at the same time and that word is Doctor."

Martha had no idea what would happen at that moment when everyone thought of the Doctor, but she knew enough to know that the Doctor knew what he was doing which was why she had willingly put up with torment and hardship to carry out his instructions.

And as the countdown reached zero, she suddenly saw what would happen if everyone thought of the Doctor. Everyone stared at the birdcage in shock as a blinding blue aura surrounded the Doctor and to everyone's surprise and delight, he began to grow.

Tears fell from Rose's eyes knowing that this was the moment they had suffered a whole year for. At last, things would be put right. As she watched the aura restore the Doctor to his normal size, she wept tears of joy. She joined everyone else in the room in calling out the Doctor's name and noticed with joy that even Lucy was doing it. The tears increased when she noticed him growing younger and younger until he was his old self again.

"One thing you can't do is stop them thinking."

A smile spread over her face until her muscles ached. All the pain and the turmoil vanished while she watched her old familiar Doctor glance at her and smile.

_Told ya I would be restored._ He thought to her.

Rose sobbed and nodded.

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The alternate Doctor stood at the doorway with his eyes bugging out of his head and his jaw nearly to the floor. He opened the door a bit more and looked around at the guards. He noticed them all blinking as if they were waking up and he knew that the Master's hypnotic power had been broken. He looked back at his double and noticed the man was rising into the air.

"Tell me the human race is degenerate now, when they can do this." He said to the Master.

While Martha ran over to her family unopposed, Rose looked up at the guard and saw that he was looking at the Doctor. Hesitantly, she got up and when he did nothing, she ran over to Martha's family. Martha embraced her and they both laughed with joy as they hugged each other.

"NO!"

Their joy turned to horror when the Master whipped out his laser screwdriver and pointed it at the Doctor. To their delight, the laser beam bounced harmlessly off the Doctor's aura.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." The Doctor said as he fired repeatedly at him.

"Then I'll kill them." The Master said adjusting the screwdriver.

He aimed it at Martha and Rose and gasped when the Doctor raised his hand and the screwdriver flew out of his hand and landed halfway across the room. He stared at it in shock for a moment and then looked back at the Doctor.

"You can't do this. You can't do this. It's not fair!" he yelled at him.

"And you know what happens now."

"No, no!"

Rose watched in wonderment while the Doctor flew across the room towards the Master. She looked over at Martha.

"Wow, we're good." She said. "We actually turned the Doctor into a god."

Martha nodded and both of them laughed. They watched with fascination while the Master cowered before the flying Doctor and clawed at the wall trying to dig his way out of the ship. Rose smirked knowing that the Doctor had been right about the tables being turned. Now it was the Master's turn to beg for mercy.

The aura vanished and the Doctor landed lightly on the floor. Everyone watched with baited breath while he walked over to the cowering Master, bent down beside him and embraced him. But, instead of hitting him or hurting him or letting out a string of epithets, the Doctor simply said…

"I forgive you."

Rose's heart filled with love upon hearing this and she knew that the Doctor had done the right thing. The Master looked out and she heard him mutter.

"My children."

The Doctor stood up.

"Captain, the paradox machine!" he screamed at him.

They looked over at Jack.

"You men, with me." Jack said to the guards.

And to Rose's delight, they all obeyed and ran out of the room with him.

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The alternate Doctor's eyes widened when he saw Jack and the guards running towards him. He quickly ran and managed to duck into a room just as the door opened and they all went running out towards the paradox machine.

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Rose watched them go. She turned back and saw the Master was pulling the vortex manipulator out of his pocket.

"DOCTOR!" she screamed pointing to him.

The Doctor turned and saw what he was doing.

"No!" he yelled

He grabbed the vortex manipulator. Rose and Martha gasped when they saw them both disappeared into thin air.

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They hesitated a moment unsure of what to do. Rose and Martha looked at each other and saw the instruments on the top level of the conference room. They both ran together up the stairs followed by Martha's family. They scurried around trying to figure out what was going on.

"All six billion spheres are heading right for us!" Martha yelled.

"Oh, isn't that a shame!"

Rose and Martha paused when they heard the Doctor's voice. They spun around thinking that he had returned and gasped when they saw the alternate Doctor standing at the foot of the steps pointing a gun at them.

"Well, well, look at this, all the people who could have protected you from me are gone now. How very convenient for me. Seems your precious Doctor and Jack have deserted you and now all that's left is a bunch of stupid apes."

He pointed the gun at Clive when he tried to make a move.

"I wouldn't play the hero if I were you, unless you want a bullet in the brain." He said to him.

He looked at them.

"Now, in the words of my ex-partner…kneel."

He walked up the steps as everyone fell to their knees.

"Hands behind your head please." He said pointing the gun at them.

Everyone obeyed.

"So, let's see, what do we have here? The bitch wife, the loser family and the faithful little doggies. Who shall I shoot first? Any volunteers? I mean, it doesn't really matter to me since you're all gonna die anyway. But, if anyone is feeling heroic and noble here, feel free to speak up."

He leaned over and put his gun under Rose's chin.

"How 'bout you, Rose? You wanna go first?" he said.

He ran the muzzle of the gun down her cheek.

"You know, I'd hate to blow out your brains and ruin that pretty little face. How about you come back to me and be my companion."

"I'd rather die."

The Doctor shrugged.

"Suit yourself. I guess that means you're going first then." He said aiming the gun at her head.

Suddenly, the ship jerked violently. The alternate Doctor gasped and fell back down the stairs. He bounced down the steps and landed unconscious at the bottom as the gun slid away from his hand. Rose stood up, looking at him. Then, there was another lurch and she gasped as she fell backwards. She braced herself for the impact and instead felt someone grab her from behind. She looked up and saw the Doctor smiling down at her.

"'Ello, love." He said cheerfully.

Rose smiled back.

"Everyone get down!" he yelled. "Time is reversing!"

He and Rose got down beside Martha. All of them held each other's hands as they heard a whooshing outside. Rose and Martha looked at each other and looked over at the Doctor who was grinning at them. They grinned back while papers flew everywhere around them. The alternate Doctor's gun slid back towards Francine who was lying with Lucy near the tarp tent.

The whirlwind lasted for about five minutes and then suddenly it died down. The Doctor looked up and let go of Martha and Rose's hands as he jumped up.

"Paradox is broken." He said adjusting the controls. "We've reverted back, one year and one day. Two minutes past eight in the morning."

He tuned in a radio.

"This is UNIT central. What's happened up there? We just saw the president assassinated."

"See, just after the president was killed, but just before the spheres arrived. Everything back to normal. Planet Earth restored. None of it happened. The rockets, the terror, it never was."

"What about the spheres?"

"Trapped at the end of the universe."

"But, I can remember it."

"We're at the eye of the storm. The only ones who'll ever know."

He glanced over.

"Oh hello, you must be Mister Jones. We haven't actually met." The Doctor said going to him.

Just then, the alternate Doctor jumped up and made a beeline for the door along with the Master.

"Doctor!" Rose screamed pointing at them.

The alternate Doctor ducked out the side door as the Doctor hurried down the steps after them. The Master tried to go out the other door. It slid open.

"Whoa, big fella, you don't wanna miss the party!" he said. "Cuffs!"

The guard handed him some handcuffs and he cuffed his hands behind his back.

"Jack, my double is getting away!" the Doctor said pointing to the side door.

"Aw, crap!" Jack said.

He shoved the Master into the guard's arms and ran out the door after him.

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The alternate Doctor ran down the corridor towards his TARDIS.

"I'll be back, Doctor, bet on it!" he muttered to himself.

He looked back and saw Jack rounding a corner and sprinting towards him. He yelled in frustration as he put on a burst of speed. He rounded a corner and laughed while he ran towards the room that held his TARDIS.

"Too late, Harkness!" he yelled back when Jack rounded the corner after him.

He saw Jack draw his gun. He ducked his head while a bullet whizzed over him and he rammed headfirst through the door.

"Open!" he screamed at his TARDIS.

The TARDIS doors flew open and the alternate Doctor jumped inside. He screamed when a bullet hit his leg and he fell to the floor.

"Close the door!" he screamed, holding his injured leg.

The doors slammed shut and locked. As Jack screamed curses and pounded on the door, the alternate Doctor commanded the TARDIS to start. He giggled insanely as the rotor started and the TARDIS entered the vortex.

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Everyone jumped as a gun went off. The Master's eyes widened in surprise. They turned around and saw Lucy holding the smoking gun staring at her husband with a blank look on her face. The Doctor ran to catch the Master as Clive took the gun away from Lucy.

"Always the women."

"I didn't see her."

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"Doctor, he got away," Jack said entering the room. "I couldn't…"

He paused when he saw the Doctor kneeling on the floor holding the Master in his arms. He saw the stricken look on the Doctor's face and the smug look on the Master's and ran to Rose and Martha.

"What's going on?" he asked them.

"Lucy shot the Master," Rose said. "And the Master is dying. The Doctor…wants him to regenerate and he won't do it."

"Regenerate, just regenerate, please, please just regenerate!" the Doctor said desperately.

"And spend the rest of my life imprisoned with you?"

Rose put her hand to her mouth. She was confused at first about why the Doctor was so desperate for the Master to regenerate and then it hit her.

"Oh God, Doctor." She said to herself. "You're so alone that even having your enemy alive is better than nothing."

She felt tears come to her eyes while she watched the Doctor's anguish and the tears falling down his face. She felt a hand on her shoulder and saw Martha beside her. Both of them watched in silence as the Master forced himself to die in the Doctor's arms.

Then, the Doctor held his mortal enemy close to him and his emotions let loose. Martha grabbed Rose's hand when he let out a heart wrenching scream and cradled the body of the Master in his arms. Everyone stood and watched, unsure of what to do, as the Doctor wept for his fallen foe.


	57. Chapter 57

Chapter Fifty-Seven

After the chaos died down, the guards departed the Valiant, using the helicopter to go back down to Earth to resume their lives. Eventually, the only people left were the Doctor, Rose, Martha, Jack, Martha's family and Lucy. While Lucy, Tish, Clive and Francine went to the bedrooms to lie down, the Doctor led Rose, Martha and Jack down to his TARDIS.

The Doctor opened the TARDIS doors and they walked inside and stared at the ruins of the control panel.

"Can it be fixed?" Rose asked looking at the Doctor.

"Yes, it'll take about a day, but the TARDIS can fix it." The Doctor replied. "We just have to close the door and let her do the work."

He ushered them back out and he shut the door. They heard the door lock and the Doctor nodded.

"It'll be done by tomorrow." He said.

He sighed.

"In the meantime, I have work to do." He said grimly.

He walked away as the three companions looked at each other.

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The Doctor looked dully at the Master's naked body as it lay on the tarp on the exam table in the med bay. He dipped the rag in the basin of water next to him and cleaned his body. As he worked, he sighed deeply. He should have known that the Master would never agree to be his prisoner for the rest of his life. But, still, he had held out a hope that he would do it. Even though they had been bitter enemies, he had hoped that in time they could work toward reconciliation. Despite all he had tried to do to him, he was still a part of his kind. But now he truly was the last Time Lord of this universe. All that was left of the Time Lords was a twisted version of himself and he would never accept him as his own kind. He was an abomination. A dark reflection of his own personality. He was a sick joke and an insult to what the Time Lords had been. He knew he was still out there somewhere and he figured they would meet again someday, but he would never offer the same forgiveness to him that he did to the Master.

He heard the door opening. He glanced up and saw Rose and Martha looking at him quietly. He smiled sadly at them.

"Come to me." He said.

Rose and Martha came inside and the Doctor went to them, put his arms around them and held them tight. They put their arms around him and returned the hug as he closed his eyes and thanked Rassilon that he still had them. Even if had lost the Master, he still had his friends and his companions. At least, he wasn't completely alone. He still had people who loved and cared for him and he felt blessed for that. He let go of them and without a word, his two girls moved towards the body with him and helped the Doctor prepare it for cremation.

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(The next night…)

Rose, Martha and Jack stood by the TARDIS doors watching as the Doctor stood by the funeral pyre containing the wrapped body of the Master. They listened as the Doctor said what sounded like a eulogy in Gallifreyan. The TARDIS hadn't bothered to translate knowing that the Doctor needed the privacy to say what he needed to say to his former foe. The words poured from his lips as he stared up dully at the body. Then, after about ten minutes, he stopped talking and grabbed a nearby torch. As the three friends huddled close together, the Doctor walked around the pyre lighting the wood at different places. When the wood was burning, he threw the torch on top and walked back to the TARDIS. He paused at the door and embraced his friends lingering there a moment listening to the sound of crackling wood and smelling the pungent smoke. Then, without a word, they went inside the TARDIS and a few moments later, it vanished from sight.

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(Two days later…)

The Doctor had taken Martha's family back home and Lucy had left as well after deciding to call her family and get back in touch with them. Martha had let her use her mobile and to their relief, the family had been searching for her and were anxious for her to come home. They had dropped her off, wished her luck and bid her farewell as Lucy headed towards her mother's house. To his delight, Martha had decided to take some flowers to Professor Docherty as a way of telling her she didn't blame her for what had happened. The Doctor tried to explain that she wouldn't have a recollection of anything that happened, but Martha wanted to do it anyway. She had delivered the flowers and, amused, told the others about her bewildered reaction. Now, the Doctor stood with his three friends looking out over Cardiff.

"Time was, every single one of these people knew your name. Now they've all forgotten you." Martha said.

"Good."

"Back to work." Jack said going under the railing.

"I really don't mind though, come with me." The Doctor said.

"I've had plenty of time to think over that past year, the year that never was and I kept thinking about that team of mine. Like you said, Doctor, responsibility."

"Defending the Earth, can't argue with that."

The Doctor grabbed his vortex manipulator.

"Hey, I need that." Jack protested.

"Can't have you walking around with a time traveling teleport. You could go anywhere. Twice. Second time to apologize."

"And what about me, can you fix that? Will I ever be able to die?"

"Nothing I can do. You're an impossible thing, Jack."

Jack laughed.

"I've been called that before."

He looked at Rose.

"Although, if Blondie here wants to look into the heart of the TARDIS again for me…"

"No, sorry, Jack. I like the Doctor as he is. I've already had to live with him being old and being a dwarf this past year. I don't want him regenerating again." She said.

Jack shrugged.

"Hey, had to ask." He said.

He walked a few paces, turned and saluted.

"Sir." He said to the Doctor.

The Doctor gave him a one finger salute.

"Ma'am." He said winking at Martha.

Martha saluted.

Rose put her arm up to salute when Suddenly Jack grabbed her and pulled her into his arms.

"Blondie…" he said in a throaty voice as he stroked her hair.

"Oi!" the Doctor said as Rose pulled away from him laughing.

"Sorry, Doc, couldn't resist." He said winking at Rose.

He pinched her cheek.

"See ya around, Rose."

Rose nodded.

He took a step and turned around.

"But, I keep wondering," he said. "What about aging? Cause I can't die, but I keep getting older? The odd little grey hair, you know. What happens if I live for a million years?"

"I really dunno."

"Okay vanity, sorry, can't help it. Used to be a poster child when I was a kid living in the Boeshein Peninsula. Tiny little place. I was the first one ever to be signed up for the Time Agency. They were so proud of me. The Face of Boe, they called me."

The smiles fell off the Doctor, Martha and Rose's faces as they stared at him in shock.

"Hm, I'll see ya." Jack said pointing at them.

"It can't be." Martha said as Jack ran off.

"No way." Rose said.

She looked at the Doctor.

"He can't be…can he?" she asked.

"No, no…no way…definitely not." The Doctor replied.

The three of them looked at each other and laughed as Jack ran off towards the hub.

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(Later on in the day…)

The TARDIS stood outside Francine's house as Martha visited with her family. The Doctor stood outside watching them through the window talking and laughing with each other. Francine turned at one point and caught his eye and they smiled at one another before she turned back to Martha. The Doctor turned and went back inside the TARDIS.

Rose looked up from the captain's chair as the Doctor threw his trench coat over one of the support pillars and walked towards her. He smiled when he noticed Puff sitting on her shoulder singing. Rose had been terrified that he had died during the year, but the Doctor assured her that Zetays can live many months without food and will go into hibernation if it goes beyond that. Puff was dazed when he finally woke up, but after Rose gave him some milk and a carrot, he was back to his old singing self. The Doctor stoked his fur for a moment before settling down beside Rose.

"Martha still visiting?" Rose asked.

"Yup, as soon as he gets done, we'll head back out into the vortex."

"Thank God, I'm ready to leave Earth for awhile."

"Yeah, me too."

Rose stared at the Doctor.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine." He said. "Why do you ask?"

Rose bit her lip.

"Well, I mean, with the Master and all…"

The Doctor sighed.

"It's still painful for me, but I'll get over it." He said. "As long as I have my two girls traveling with me, I won't be lonely."

Rose smiled and reached up to fluff his hair.

"I missed doing this, this past year." She said. "I'm so glad you're back to normal."

"Yeah, me too. It's hell being an old man."

He smiled and kissed her lips. Rose glanced down at the jar sitting underneath the console.

"What are you gonna do with that?" she asked pointing to the hand.

"That…is getting destroyed. I don't want anyone else stealing it and using my DNA against me." He said. "I just haven't gotten around to doing it, but I will as soon as we get back in the vortex."

Rose glanced up at the central column.

"The TARDIS did a good job repairing itself. I can't even tell that a paradox machine was in here."

"Yup, she's really good at fixing herself when she has to. Course I'll have to do a few tune ups over the next few weeks, make sure everything is back to normal."

"Oh, gee, that'll be a real chore for you." Rose said poking his side.

The Doctor smiled at her.

"Yeah, I guess I'll just have to grin and bear it though." He replied.

He put his feet up on the edge of the console and Rose put her head on his shoulder as they listened to Puff sing.

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"I'll be right back." Martha said to her mum as she walked out the door.

She walked off the porch and headed towards the TARDIS. She regretted doing this especially after all that they had been through this past year, but she had done her duty for the Doctor and now she had her duty to her family. As she walked towards the TARDIS, she tried to get in touch with Tom Milligan, to her relief; he answered the phone, very much alive. She paused a moment listening to his voice and then hung up.

She paused outside the TARDIS door and taking a deep breath, opened it, and went in.

"Right then!" the Doctor said getting up from the captain's chair. "Off we go, the open road. There's a burst of starfire right now off the coast of Meta Sigma Folia. Oh, the sky is like oil on water. Fancy it? Or back in time. We could, I don't know, Charles II, Henry VIII. I know, what about Agatha Christie? I'd love to meet Agatha Christie, I bet she's brilliant!"

The Doctor paused and his hearts sank when he saw the all too familiar look in his companion's eyes.

"Okay." He said sadly.

"I just can't."

Rose stood up and walked around the Doctor's side.

"Martha? What wrong?" she asked.

"I can't, Rose, I can't go with you guys anymore. I spent all these years training to be a Doctor and now I've got people to look after."

Rose took the Doctor's arm when he lowered his head.

"They saw half the planet sorted and they're devastated, I can't leave them." She said.

"Course not." The Doctor said.

"We understand completely." Rose added.

The Doctor sighed and stared at her.

"Thank you." He finally said.

He came forward and embraced her. He let go and Martha embraced Rose.

"God, I'm gonna miss you." Rose said.

"Me too." Martha replied. "You've been a great friend."

She pulled back and looked at the Doctor.

"Martha Jones, you saved the world." He said.

"Yes, I did. I spent a lot of time thinking I was second best, but you know what? I am good."

The Doctor and Rose smiled and nodded.

"You guys gonna be okay?" Martha asked.

"Oh yeah, don't worry about us. We're pros at this."

She nodded.

"Bye," she said kissing his cheek.

The Doctor put his arm around Rose as she walked out the door.

Martha got outside the door. She turned and looked back at the TARDIS and suddenly, she flung herself back through the doors. The Doctor jerked his head up from the monitor and he and Rose stared at her in confusion.

"Yeah?" he said."Forget your toothbrush again?"

"Doctor, I…"

Martha sighed.

"I want…I want to still be a part of the gang."

The Doctor glanced at Rose.

"You'll always be a part of us, Martha. No matter what happens." He said.

"Then…I can come back?"

"You can come back anytime."

Martha smiled and reached into her pocket. She threw him a mobile.

"Keep that then, because I'm not letting you two get away." She said. "If that rings…when…that rings, you guys better come running. Got it?"

The Doctor and Rose grinned at each other.

"Got it." The Doctor said.

She started towards the door and turned back.

"I'll see you guys again." She said.

"Good, we'll be sure to keep some poi in the fridge for ya then."

He and Rose snickered as Martha eyed him. She shook her head and smiled.

"Yup, I'm definitely gonna miss this." She said.

Reluctantly, she turned away and forced herself to go back out the door. As she reached the front door of the house, she paused and her heart sank when she heard the familiar wheezing sound and felt the wind pick up around her. She brushed away a tear, put her hand on the doorknob and went back inside.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The funeral pyre died down after several hours. the body of the Master was almost consumed. As it burned, something dropped off the pyre. It was the Master's signet ring. It lay on the ground for a moment and then suddenly a man's hand reached down and grabbed it. The man looked at it silently for a moment and then the alternate Doctor's laugh echoed through the night air as he put the ring on his finger and walked towards his TARDIS.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Right, where do you wanna go then?" the Doctor asked her.

"Wherever you wanna go, Doctor, is fine with me." Rose replied.

The Doctor looked around at her.

"Agatha Christie?"

Rose smiled.

"Sounds good."

"Right, Agatha Christie then."

He pushed a button. Suddenly, there was a enormous bang. The Doctor grabbed Rose and both of them fell to the floor as debris rained down on them. They lay there a moment and the Doctor finally sat up as Rose put Puff into her hand. Rose looked up and her eyes widened when she saw the bow of an enormous ship jutting into the TARDIS.

"Doctor, we…we crashed into a ship, how…"

"Not just any ship, Rose."

Rose looked at the Doctor who was staring at a life preserver. He looked around at her.

"THE ship." He said showing it to her.

Rose's eyes nearly popped out of her head when she saw TITANIC written on it. They stared at one another.

"I think Agatha Christie is gonna have to wait for the moment." The Doctor said grimly.

THE END.

A/N: The series continues in The Doctor's Triple Trouble.


End file.
